The Light Behind Your Eyes
by StarfirexRobinfan24
Summary: A different look at the life and times of RIchard Grayson and Kori Anders. Love, lust,... friendship, pain... life.. all that jazz. Its my first story, but Im confident its at least decent. Will be adding more chapters real soon so enjoy... ] Disclaimer: I do not, nor have I ever owned anything Teen Titans related
1. Drowning Lessons

Chapter One: **"Drowning Lessons"**

It was a rich community, the one I lived in. To say my city was perfect would be ridiculous but it was nothing I had against the community for the danger didn't lie with the city itself, it fell more upon the people in it. Large buildings scattered any view within our town, the perfect execution of a system so bent on money, but like all the famous quotes state... with money comes greed, and greed is bringing this city, alone, to its weakest. Not so much that my city was failing economically because that just isn't true. We are spearheaded by the largest company in the entire state. Some would even argue it was the most successful in the entire hemisphere... but I digress. Two words : ... Wayne Industries, lead by the one and only Bruce Wayne.

Bruce, while intimidating in reality, was not the same person around me. I was one of the few privileged to see a side of this stern, strictly professional man that brought a lighter side to all that meant Bruce Wayne. Why... do you ask... am I held at a closer light when in relation to Bruce? That's easy... he was the most powerful man around but it was his ward son who brought me to know him on a personal level. His ward son was picture perfect, the ideal successor in Bruce's eyes. Of course that's not why their stories intertwine for Bruce was an honest man. From the years I've known him, regardless of his standoff-ish behavior,... there was nothing more important to him then his son. In some odd way they were a lot alike... sometimes far too much alike for my taking.

In any event, I was explaining about his ward son in more detail. So,... Bruce's son was definitely one for the books. His looks; unruly ebony hair that fell into a matted gel mess of spikes, adding a slight edgy side to him, dashing blue eyes that tore at the hearts of all us women, and his charm which could win anyone over. Now, this charming, undeniably wanted man was known for three things. One,... obviously being the heir to the Wayne fortune and eventual successor to Wayne Industries. Two,... a face that his public found so lovable and trusting. His face, both father and son, were on the newspapers and magazines almost everyday, all week, all year. Although I can't blame the media... the Wayne's family was quite a story in itself. Trust me, there was never a dull moment in Wayne's Manor. Which, actually I should clear up real quick... this boy, the one I've explained in all his glory, goes by the name of Dick John Grayson. The story behind the different last names is a personal one on Dick's part so I wont explain but now Im getting off the subject. Now, back to his life, and I would know I'm apart of it most of the time. Which is where number three comes in,... he was best friends with the second largest company's daughter,... Kori Star Anders.  
Obviously I'm Kori Anders, and sure, I know what most of you are thinking... just another rich family tale of other rich families coexisting along side one another, their egos and money causing problems... I don't think so. Because yea we had money, there were egos that clashed, but for the rest of us... the sons and daughters of these media gods, layered beneath the shallow fame, ... we were all submerged in the same teenage adolescence... the fame only causing more problems.

To be clear, I am not friends with Dick because of who he is to the public or to the media. Which of course there are two sides to every story, especially in the media. One being, in relation to the public eye, is that Dick and I are sworn enemies since birth. I'm not sure how this rumor began but its very much alive. Apparently he and I cannot stand to be around each other but in the event of our wealthy parents intervening we had no choice but to spend our time with one another, especially to keep up appearances. That was once stated to be our golden phrase. I cant remember which magazine this was but either way their concept of our lives was entirely skewed. The other angle of the story, one in which most of the public gravitates toward, is that Dick and I were friends because we are one of those epic loves. Now, let me just point out, its hard being a teenager all on its own, so why the public feels the need to add more stress and complication to our lives... I will never understand. Dick and I have spent countless occasions sparking laughter at the odd photographs the media would capture of us, an entirely misleading story to go along with each picture. Each new magazine would have latest news covering our lives and most of it was all lies. It didn't matter to either of us though because we were far closer then to be separated by embarrassment from false media.

Either way, here's the story,... Dick and I were both young,... I mean really young when we first met. It was a situation where we got along but weren't all that close. That is of course until I lost my father to a tragic accident,... pardon if I don't go into detail about that. At the end of the day, when I was feeling lost, alone, helpless ... Dick was there. In my darkest hours he was there, endlessly and unconditionally. Then, with each day with him at my side, everything seemed to get a little better. Now, here I am, about to be sixteen and I'm whole.

I'm going to pause for a moment because I feel as though maybe this situation, this bond between Dick and I, is being unjustified. I mean, I've been friends with him since I can remember and we've been through so much it would be ridiculous to explain everything... but trust me I could. My memories... they all begin with Dick Grayson and they always will. Although, that's not to say that we were perfect, nothing is perfect. There was a time in elementary school when Dick and I sort of began to drift, not because of each other but the peer pressure I think that surrounded us. It was a few months in which we had barely talked and then... suddenly, one day I called him out of the blue. I had this strange feeling I needed to see him. You see, when my father passed, it would be a few years before Dick's parents, both of them, would be pass too. I remember the day, the very place Dick and I stood when we got the call.

A man approached both Dick and I with a look of pain in his eyes. This man was Bruce Wayne and I just remember Dick being taken away. He was gone ... for hours... an entire day even... just nothing. I called him, went to his house... everything I could think of to be certain he was alright. When I found him... he wasn't. Alfred, Bruce's butler, continued to persuade me to give Dick his space but the moment his eyes, those electrifyingly blue eyes saw me, we were never apart from that day. So, when I say Dick and I are close,... I really mean it. There's one person I would do anything for, trust anything with ... and it was him, and in a world of cruel media and teenage angst... that was all I needed.  
So here I am. Standing in front of my mirror the night before my first day of my junior year. No matter how long I stared at myself, no matter which angle or face I made, I could not bring myself to force a believable smile. Why? Because tomorrow was the first day of my junior year. A year that was different then any other for one very specific... excruciating detail... I was in love with my best friend.

That's right... my best friend, who of course was not just anyone, he was... thee Dick Grayson. He had spent his first two years of high school swimming in womely affection and down right labeling himself as a playboy to this city. He was the epitome of every girls thoughts, desires, hopes, and even dreams. Which I know may sound like an overly dramatization of him, but as of right now... I cant help but agree it was true. Now of course the type of women that Dick naturally levitates toward are the loose girls, which is fine, I'm his best friend right? Why do I care? ... right?

Wrong! The fact is... I did care, more then I would like to even admit,... which I'm still, myself, trying to accept. Lets face it, I'll be honest, I always loved Dick Grayson for who he was, regardless of the Chanel perfumes his female visitors would sport, and he would reek of even hours later, and I accepted the change of when we arrived in high school and he was no longer Dick, Kori's best friend, and stopped being referred to, at least by our piers, as Dick Grayson son of Bruce Wayne, and became Dick Grayson high school playboy. And as a result I was no longer Kori, Dick Grayson's best friend and became, that whore who steals Dick Grayson from their attempts at flirting or guys trying to get in good with his friends. No, I was Dick Grayson's friend because I see through all the fake media image, the careless, loveless, emotionless front that consumes him when in public, and I could see him for who he really was, and it was simply because he let me see him. When we were together nothing ever seemed so bad. Nothing could stop us from doing anything, and that's truly what we believed.  
In any event, here I was trying to recover from the summer vacation that literally ruined my life. This summer Bruce had a few business meetings in Miami, Florida, so naturally Dick invited me. Everything was as it should have been, nothing out of beat or unexpected until our last night there. We were all packed and ready to return home, just waiting for Bruce to return from his last meeting.

I sat alone in my hotel room in silence. The television was on but my mind was focused on racing through my thoughts to ensure I had not forgotten to pack anything. Dick and I had spent most of the day on the beach. The weather was warm, the sun kissed at our cheeks sweetly, and the view was nothing short of amazing. So... here I was, sunburned from my epic day of fun with Dick. Dick, might I add left me asleep on the beach to commence with one last night of flirting with the beautiful women that thrive in Miami. He came back, remembering I was alone and asleep but by then... sunburned. I remember waking to the sound of a heated fight happening beside me. I turned to find Dick cleanly knock out a man who had apparently been hovering over me. He filed his apologies quickly then delved into great detail about the 'interesting' women he had the pleasure of meeting.

So again, here I sat, sunburned and frustrated with my own body, the scent of aloe vera stifling my senses. I flipped through the channels on the flat screen but my thoughts, as I said, were elsewhere. It would only be the sound of a familiar voice as it entered my room that would break my concentration.

"Hey, Richard." I said quite monotone, openly displaying my lack of patience with him. Referring to him as Richard alone was a clear sign he was not in my good graces.

He looked to me through his signature black shades. "Don't look at me that way." He said with a laugh as he lowered himself onto the bed beside me. "I know your upset but I really just lost track of time." His mouth receded into a small whimper. "Don't be mad."

I rolled my eyes knowing perfectly well time was of no concern to him, he was merely more focused upon the beautiful women around him. I inhaled deeply giving him a quick nod then turning back to the tv.

"What are you doing?" I snapped, Richard having snatched the remote from me.

"Relax, you and I both know your not even watching it." He paused looking around my room. "And no, ... you didn't forget to pack anything."

I sighed to myself, frustrated that he could tell what I was thinking. He was right though, it didn't bother me that he had taken the remote just that ... wait, this was it... this was the moment where it all changed. I found myself angry at Dick for... well being Dick. Something that had never bothered me until this exact moment. I paused looking to him as the realization set over me. The situation only getting worse as I did so.

He sat, leaned back on his left arm as he scanned through the channels. His hair was gelled up in his signature mess of spikes. I paused, staring at him a moment, his own eyes focused upon the television. I could hear him mention something about the show he was now watching but it was all muffled sounds to me. My eyes froze as he laughed motioning to the television. And just then, as he looked to me for confirmation in the hilarity of the family guy scene, my eyes grew wide.

"What?" he said casually. His laughter slowly came to a halt.

My mind was racing now, I... I was attracted to Dick Grayson. I looked to him again my mind overlooking his every feature. Features which had always been present but I had never truly taken notice of. My breathing became stressed now and I looked away from him to the mirror which angled toward me beside the television.

"What?" he repeated. He removed his sunglasses, his piercing blue eyes capturing me.

"Oh come on," I snapped, immediately standing and going into the bathroom. I tried to shut the door but was stopped by a black converse shoe which now blocked my way. I paused looking up at a confused Richard. "Just... I need a minute." He stepped back, hands at his sides in defeat and allowed me to shut the door.

I looked to the mirror now and shook my head in frustration. My mind was entertaining an insane amount of thoughts and memories of this past summer away with Dick. With each passing memory I cringed, unable to believe I hadn't noticed my attraction to Dick sooner. The holding hands on the beach, the unspoken anger I felt each time he left me alone to entertain a random passing woman, and now, how his mere laugh awoke a feeling in me I was unfamiliar with.

I splashed water on my face leaving my head in my hands. I released a muffled scream of frustration then collected myself.  
"Are you alright in there?" I heard him call.

I shoved the door open and looked to him with as much composure as I could force into myself. "You realize we start school in a few days and because of you I'm going to be burned to a crisp on the first day."

I could feel my heart pound faster now as he released a small chuckle. "Look, I said I was sorry." He paused stepping to me and throwing an arm around my shoulder. "Don't worry Kor, you'll look great when school starts... you look great now."

I felt myself scream in silence. There was only one solution to surviving this catastrophe,... and her name was Rachel. I would be sitting in front of Rachel, my closest friend, aside from Dick of course, by morning so for now I had to grin and bear it.

I cleared my throat looking to Dick now. "Richard..." I removed his arm from me and lay back upon the bed with a sigh. I wasn't even entirely sure how to act around him at this moment. I felt ridiculous, my face red as can be and him smiling at me as if nothing was out of place. I closed my eyes and released another drawn out sigh. "...Richard... I'm in no mood for you to be nice to me. Just... just go wait in your room until Bruce comes back." I swallowed hard as I felt him lay upon the bed beside me.

"Come on," he said, his voice never more convincing to me. He placed a hand upon my arm and removed it from my eyes. "Its our last night... there's nothing you want to do before we leave?"

I tried my hardest to seem uninterested but the half smile that graced his expression took a hold of me. I swallowed hard. "I'm assuming you have an idea of what you want to do?"

He stood and paused, extending a hand down to me.

"Is this your way of saying yes?" I asked, hesitant to accept his hand. "Because if it is,... I'm serious... I... I would love to go with you but..." I laughed. "I'm too sunburned for public eye, trust me."

He laughed and leaned forward forcing me to take his hand. He pulled me to my feet now and smile down at me. "Don't worry about anything other then you and me." He planted a kiss gently upon my cheek immediately returning those eyes to mine. "You look amazing."

"Alright," I could feel my eyes grow wide at his compliment. "... but I'll need time to get ready." I paused before the mirror and gasped at how bad I really looked. Unbrushed hair piled up into a high messy bun, and I wore a sweatshirt that belonged to Dick from when he went to private school, and not to forget the red tint of my crying skin. Before I could speak again I felt him pull at my hand.

"You look fine. Come on lets go."

"Wait..." I pulled my hand back. "I have to get ready first." For some reason my appearance was of high priority around him now.

"Kori..." he said in a warning tone.

"Richard..." I antagonized.

I turned away toward the bathroom when I felt him lunge toward me. Before I knew it Dick had lifted me over his shoulder and carried me out of the hotel room. We stepped into the hallway, him finally returning me to the floor. I paused as I caught a smirk upon his face. My eyes narrowed as I saw my room key, which had been in my back pocket, within his hands. He smiled and placed it in his jeans pocket then took my hand.

"Where... Where are we going?" I asked. He had lead me in the opposite direction of the hotel. "If we keep going this way, we'll find ourselves on the roof."

He raised a brow at me. "I know."

When we reached the roof I stood near the edge staring out across the beautiful scenery. Miami was beautiful during the day, but it held no light to the night. The sunset spawned rays of soft pinks, purples and blues that stretched out across the horizon. I inhaled deeply, soaking all of it in.

Silence...

I jumped slightly, my nerves setting fire as Dick stepped to me. He stood behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Its beautiful isn't it?" He said.

I looked to him briefly, the wind had carried his scent to me. My eyes shut and I placed my hands upon his with a simple nod. We were quiet in this moment for a long time... until I felt him pull away.

"Dammit," He said, his attention was now on his phone.

"Answer it." I knew the routine by now. Each time Dick and I had a moment to ourselves, even just as friends, one of his female admirers would interrupt. I didn't actually want him to answer, and a part of me always thought he would have rather not answered it either,... but he always did. "Go ahead." I repeated with a pleasant smile. It was this moment which was about to happen that made my situation even harder for myself.

"No, its alright."

My gaze was focused upon his now in a dreamy daze. '_He was choosing me over one of his girls_?'

It didn't happen often and right now... it was the last thing I needed, no matter how much I enjoyed it. I watched with a keen eye as he turned his phone off and returned it to his pocket. He looked to me with narrowed eyes. "Whats wrong?"

"Nothing." I said quickly. His question had thrown me off, snapping me out of my consistent thoughts of him. I laughed again, brushing away a side bang. "I'm fine I just... you always answer your phone."

Fear struck me now as he laughed and took me into his arms again. I was so sure he would notice the rapidness of my heart beating for him, but he didn't. My eyes fluttered shut as he kissed me twice upon my cheek. "I know I always answer it but its not everyday its just me and my Star."

My chest almost erupted in emotion. '_Did he just call me __**his**__ Star?_'

I stifled my embarrassment and for the first time was thankful for my sunburn. My blushing was not even noticeable in my condition. It wasn't the first time he had called me by my middle name but I knew from experience that if he was using it, it meant that he was undeniably happy.  
In the end, we shared our emotional moment together and flew back home. The flight was one spent sleeping and the last time I saw Dick was when he and Bruce dropped me off at home two days ago. So again,... I'm in front of my mirror and its 12:30. My mind is focused on tomorrow and the excruciating pain I will endure once Dick decides upon a new girl friend for the week.

(A/N) I had been reading a lot of Robstar fan fiction since the new show started, and it made me really miss the original teen titans so I figured I'd give myself a shot at a story... let me know what you guys think (R/R)


	2. Demolition Lovers

Chapter Two: **Demolition Lovers**

I growled as my phone vibrated._ 'Again? I'm obviously ignoring you, Dick'_

I fell from my thoughts as my bedroom door swung open. "Come on Komi, just leave me alone already. I'm getting ready for tomorrow."

"By staring at yourself in the mirror?"

As the voice sounded a smile crept across my face. 'I know that monotone voice anywhere.'

"Rachel!"

She nodded, a slight closed mouthed smile forced upon her face. "Look, you said you wanted to talk... here I am."

"I can't... I can't even... I don't even know where to begin... I..."

"Stop," She said calmly. A hand put in between us. Her eyes remained motionless as she spoke. "Kori, I'm your friend so I can be honest and tell you when you sound like a complete mess. Now... my question is, why are you bugging me with this? Isn't this more Dicks' territory?"

"I can't speak to Dick about this. I need to speak with you."

"You never come to me with this shit? Why now?"

This alone was my favorite thing about Rachel. You may think she and I are complete opposites, which is true, we are, but our friendship was solid. I knew I could always count on her to be upfront with me, and that was her thing, even if it was sometimes painful to hear. Rachel was honest, and she spoke her mind, and while she didn't care for most things... she was fun. Nothing was ever fake with her and I had grown to know the difference of her behavior. She always sounded careless and yet slightly frustrated, and most people are afraid of her for it. But trust me, if she was mad there would be no question... you would know.

I inhaled deeply lowering my voice to a whisper as if someone could hear me otherwise. "Its about... a guy..."

My frustration set in further as Rachel smiled now. Her violet eyes gleaming in unison with her purple, shoulder length hair. "I'm listening."

"He's... " I opened my mouth to speak but fell short of words.

'Wait a minute,' I thought to myself. 'I can barely handle knowing that I'm in love with Richard. If Rachel knows... she'll freak.'

I hesitated, Rachel's brow lifting with each passing second in annoyance as I remained in silence. I giggled slightly. "What should I wear tomorrow? Perhaps you can help me with..."

"Oh no," Rachel said, her brow still raised in impatience. "...you dragged me all the way here, now spill. What is it? Who is this guy?"

"I... He's... look, I'm not ready to talk about it. Can I please continue this tomorrow?" I paused. "Wait, what do you mean I dragged you over here, you live next door?"

There was a brief silence, then Rachel stood. She stepped to my bed and sighed. "Fine, but..." she lifted one of my pillows from the bed. "...I'm not going home. I'll just stay the night."

I nodded. "The guest room is always free for you."

Rachel laughed. "Don't you mean for Dick? I'm just the exception to his territory."

"Very funny," I said with a nervous laugh as she disappeared into the hallway. I looked to the mirror once more with a heavy sigh.

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The morning chimed in with a loud bang. I jolted upright in my bed in a panic to find Rachel glaring down at me.

"Get up already. I'm about to leave your ass behind."

"Alright... alright..." I paused, rubbing at my eyes. A yawn stretched across my face. "Wait... I don't need a ride. I already have one."

"Oh, that's right..." Rachel said with much distaste. The roll of her eyes and the bitter laugh that escaped her made me blush slightly. "I forgot you and Dick's friendship tradition. Driving to school together on the first day each year. Its all very romantic." She rolled her eyes again then pulled a thick blue sweater hood over her head. "Fine, but... I doubt Dick's bike will be looking so good once you realize its raining outside."

I looked to my window, silence lingering as Rachel removed herself from my room. The sky opened up to a kaleidoscope of different shades of blues and grays, clouds hanging heavy over the sun. 'Great' I thought. Not only did I have to attend a day in which I had no desire to be apart of, I would be left with the rain to constantly remind me of my troubles.

Within minutes there was a loud knock on the front door. Quickly dressing I rushed downstairs making a stop in front of the mirror beside my door. With a pause, I looked to my reflection and forced a smile, realizing how much I hated the fact that my first day would be met with relentless rain. I'm convinced there's never an outfit that can distract one from the mess the rain does to my hair.

"Kori, come on," Richard shouted through another knock.

I opened the door with a smile.

He looked to me with a smile and embraced me warmly. "See, you look amazing. You can't even tell you were sunburned at all."

Accepting his hand as he led me to his car I remained silent. The silence lingered as he shut the door behind me and raced around the back of the car taking his place in the driver seat. There was a brief moment as we both situated ourselves in our seats from being in the rain that I caught a glimpse of his eyes from behind his shades. A lump in my throat surfaced. There was no way I would make it through the day... I was sure of it.

"Are you ready for this?"

I shrugged, I could barely look at him at this point. "Lets just get it over with."

"I'm used to you being in such a great mood on the first day. What happened?" He paused. "Does this have anything to do with why you've been avoiding my calls?"

I avoided his gaze looking to the passing world outside my car window. "No... I don't know Richard,... I'm just not feeling well today."

"Well, I obviously upset you some how." He glanced to me with a smile which I caught the reflection of in my window. "Why is it you feel the need to call me Richard?"

I shut my eyes, hating myself for not noticing such an easy give away. "I... I'm not upset with you Rich...' I paused and rolled my eyes at another disapproving glance from him. "... Dick. I just... I don't feel well." My heart leaped inside my chest as his hand made its way securely upon my knee.

"I'm sure your just nervous about today. Things will get better once we're around our friends." When I ignored his attempt at sympathy for me, he took my hand and lifted it to his lips. I looked to him as he kissed my hand gently. "Don't worry about it alright. I'm right here with you."

I smiled again, but my heart was far from calm. This is what I regretted, this very moment, fairly certain it was only the first of many. Damn Dick Grayson ... I was drowning in his charm.

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(RIchard Grayson POV)

Alright, so I'm not really good at this but here goes... The name... Richard Grayson. Yes,... ward and heir to Bruce Wayne of Wayne industries. Alright, well, I'm Dick, infamous Jump City playboy which I'm sure you've heard. You might say my life is very privileged and yea, ... your right, I suppose it is. After my parents passed I was vulnerable, and yet when Bruce took me in as his ward things got a little better. The loss of my parents was the hardest thing I've had to go through and to be honest, as grateful as I am to Bruce, I can only thank one person for my survival of such a loss.

I smiled right now because it was she who I had fallen for. Her arms were wrapped around my right arm as I sped around the corner in my car. There was no way to tell her how I felt ... because lets face it, at the risk of sounding dramatic, what would happen if she did not feel the same? Our lifelong friendship could be ruined by such outlandish ideas that spun through my mind. In the end I was afraid to take any further step with her because I was afraid of myself. I was a playboy, I knew it and wouldn't deny it. Kori loved me but I could never expect her to truly trust me in a relationship beyond friendship, and I wasn't proud of this fact. I guess the situation was fine though... Kori had always been mine, and only time would continue to prove that. So yea, I'll endure another year hiding behind our friendship ... she made that easy for me.  
My breathe was cold as we finally parked before the school we had grown to both loathe. I turned to her with a comforting smile, secretly hating the day myself. "Ready?" She smiled at me, the smile that had haunted my summer. My entire summer.

"Yes."

The rain had come to a halt so we both exited the car, rallying at its front. I smiled as kori's fragile figure leaned against the bumper. The rain always brought out her beauty. The cloudy skies and dull colors around us only made her hair burn a brighter red as it trailed down her back violently, and her eyes, ... her eyes reflected every drop of rain in a green kaleidoscope. Even her smile brought light to this dull day.

I paused, trying to spy on who she was texting when she looked to me with a raised brow, "What?"

"Nothing," I proclaimed.

She turned back to her phone with a roll of her eyes. Even as I felt her long red hair tickle at my arm as the wind blew by I felt weak in the knees. I had been friends with Kori Anders since as far back as I cared to remember. There's nothing else to say other then that I love her. As family, as a friend, as a part of me, no matter what you choose, its the truth. If not for her, I would not be who I am today. Yet, as of right now I wasn't exactly sure if it was merely my own mind, but Kori had seemed distant with me since Miami. If it wasn't my own self conscious thoughts about her, then she was upset over something I had done before returning, I just couldn't think of what it was.

I stood beside Kori, trying not to seem so protective of her as Red approached. He was a known playboy, just like me, and he knew I had my eye on him. I placed a hand upon her waist pulling her closer to me now, an act in which she did not seem to mind.

"Hey cutie," Xavier said.

Kori's attention was grasped. She looked to Xavier Red with a smile. "Hey. Did you change your number? I don't have it anymore for some reason?" Kori said with an innocent and confused expression as she stared down at her phone.

"Here," Xavier said, "I'll add it to your contacts."

I hated moments like these. I mean it was obvious, not merely because of the tabloids, but Kori was beautiful. Not one man can resist her beauty. No matter where we are men are gazing at her, the act alone frustrated me. The only thing that made this any less frustrating was how oblivious Kori was to this fact. When she walked into a room everyone noticed,... except her. She remained in this awkward innocence which I had grown to love. I couldn't explain it in a normal sense, because when I see Kori ... I don't see logic... I just see her.

I gritted my teeth behind closed lips as Red returned Kori's phone to her, a devilish grin upon his lips.

"I'll call you," Kori replied back sweetly.

I looked to her, her smile remained upon Red as he made his way into school. "Hey, so..." I cleared my throat as she looked to me. "... I thought I saw Rachel at your house. Where is she? Shouldn't she be here by now?"

She shrugged her petite shoulders, a wrinkle in her nose. "I don't know. She was a little frustrated with me this morning." She paused removing her black coat and hung it over her arm with a sigh. "Should we go in?"

I nodded and the both of us entered the building.

"Dick!" I heard a group of freshman girls giggle in my direction.

I forced a smile and placed an arm around Kori. "Morning Ladies."

I caught Kori roll her eyes as the girls giggles became louder. We were faced with a sea of blushing faces, and while it didn't bother me I couldn't help but notice Kori seemed rather disturbed by this. In all fairness I'm certain this scenario must have gotten fairly old for her, but she had never allowed the flirtatious eyes and exploits of those around us effect her, so why now? I shrugged the idea from my mind as an approaching voice rang with familiarity.

"Hey Kor! Dick!"

We both turned at the sound of Gar. Gar was the goof of our group, he alone being proof that some people remain kids forever. Everyone needed a Gar in their life, especially when times are hard.

He stepped to us with that cheesy smile of his, his hair recently dyed green. "Do you like it ... or do you like it?"

I smiled as Kori laughed. She lifted a hand to Gar's hair staring at it with much curiosity. "It looks... green... really green."

"I guess when people call you grass stain it will actually make sense this time around." I chuckled, drawing a glare from Gar.

"Ahh, come on, its your fault your friends call me that in the first place... Dick."

I laughed. "You are one of my friends Gar."

"Unfortunately... he's right," said Rachel as she stepped to us with a smile.

A smile which was rare to find, but with the weather we were having, it seemed appropriate. Rachel was a gloomier person, in fact the exact opposite of Kori. I sometimes wondered how it was possible they were even friends. She was Kori's neighbor and she had come along before any of the others so naturally she was closest to me and Kori because of it. I turned as they began to find their way toward us.

First there was Gar, then Rachel, ... now... Wally.

"Hey guys..." he said a suave tone to his voice. I narrowed my eyes as he placed a hand upon Kori's. "I missed you this summer. Where were you?"

Kori smiled. "Sorry Wally I was on vacation. I wasn't at home."

"Vacation? Cool... cool. Where were you?"

"As if that's hard to guess..." Rachel added. All eyes turned to her now. She rolled her eyes, tossing a book in her locker. "... she was with Dick of course."

Wally nodded. "Well,... you should of stayed behind with me. We could have had a really great summer."

My patience for Wally was thinning now. I placed an arm around Kori, drawing her figure back into me, and I smiled at Wally. "She had a great summer, don't trouble yourself Wally." I paused looking to my watch. "And... there's the bell."

Kori stepped away from me and joined Rachel in the hallway. That was the last conversation I had with her for a few hours until I decided to text her while in class.

_**Dick:**__ Haven't seen you since morning. whats up?_

There was a short wait before she responded.

_**Dick**__: Kori?_

_**Kori**__: Sorry, I'm actually trying to pay attention in class. Whats up?_

_**Dick**__: I'm bored._

_**Kori**__: Its not that bad. What class are you in?_

_**Dick**__: Calculus... =[_

There was another pause in her response. I sighed to myself.

_**Dick**__: What are you doing after school?_

Another pause.

_**Kori**__: You tell me?_

I smiled.

_**Dick**__: Bruce is downtown for the day and the jumps are done with construction._

_**Kori**__: ... =] sounds great._

"Mr. Grayson," the math teacher shouted, drawing me from inside Kori's world. I looked to the teacher with a sigh, hiding my phone.

"What?"

"Can you solve the equation?"

I paused looking to the board. The teacher was good at this, singling out the students who weren't paying the least bit of attention. This fact alone made me smile because while I truly hadn't been paying attention I was no stranger to Calculus.  
Answering the question... correctly, I might add, the teacher receded with a gruff mutter of a remark in which I didn't care to acknowledge.

_**Dick**__: Invite Rachel if you want. I know Vic's gonna wanna be there._

The bell rang and my body sighed in relief... lunch... finally. Entering the food court I stepped to the table, everyone was there. I looked to Kori, and sat beside her.

"So..." Vic said. His eyes scanned over us in mischief. "First day of school... first day of the poll."

"Please don't tell me you guys are still doing this?" I said with a roll of my eyes.

"Its tradition and you can't break it." Gar laughed in anticipation. "Besides, its free money."

"What are they doing?" Kori asked me innocently.

I smiled. "I knew you'd never make bets about me." I motioned to the others now. They crowded around a small notebook, the scribbling too distant for either of us to see. "These guys however are a different story."

Kori's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Victor, to what is Richard referring to?"

"Only the easiest way to make money." Gar shouted, the excitement on his face, I found extremely exhausting. "Every year we begin a bidding war against Dick."

"We bet on who Dick will date first." Victor said.

"When they break up." Gar added.

"Even who he decides to keep a one night stand." Rachel added nonchalantly.

I looked to Rachel now in disappointment. "Even _you_ are in on this?"

Rachel shrugged. "Its a win win for me... I find you entirely too predictable."

I laughed now. "Alright, lets here it. Who is the first on the list to whom I will be with next?"

"We can't show you. That would ruin it." Gar whined.

"Sorry, playboy, the bets are off limits to you." Rachel said with a sinister grin.

"What about me?" Kori asked.

"Sure, you can..." began Gar.

He fell silent as Rachel lifted a hand to silence him. She stared down at me with a knowing smile. "Nope, Kori cant know either. All Dick would have to do is ask her and she'd tell him who we chose."

"I would not."

"Yes you would." I said laughing along with Rachel now.

There was a long silence then it happened. A girl approached me with a flirtatious smile.

"Hey Dick." She said, her voice ringing sweetly.

I smiled. "Becca."

Becca's cheeks flushed red. My eyes ran up and down her slowly, she was prettier then I had remembered. "I was hoping you would want to hang out after school?"

I smiled, it was far too easy. This girl was puddy in my hands. I nodded. "Yea,... alright."

As she walked away I looked to the table which had fell silent now.

"That's me." Gar laughed. His hand held out toward Raven and Victor now. "Ten bucks please."

"You don't really expect me to believe out of all these women you chose Becca for me to go out with first."

Victor smiled now. "Believe it spike. This was preordained months ago."

I rolled my eyes then looked to Kori now. My mind froze and I lifted a hand to my head. "Damn, I completely forgot." She smiled, knowing exactly my thoughts at the moment.

"Its fine, really. I mean, maybe Alfred and I will enjoy the track."

I shook my head again trying to ignore the comical perspective she took on a lot of situations. She always tried to spare me of any guilt but I was determined this would not be one of those occasions, she deserved better from me. "No... I'll be there. You don't mind if I invite Becca do you?"

"If your talking about the jumps then I'm in." Victor said.

"I didn't realize they were finished. I thought you said they were still under construction?" Gar questioned me.

"Nope." I smiled. "They finished just yesterday."

"Yippee," Rachel sighed lowering her gaze to her book now.

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The rest of the day was brief, Kori was in several of my classes but always at a distance. I was certain she was not avoiding me and yet... the look in her eyes made me second guess this certainty. Regardless of the truth, I had every intention of being more agreeable around her. I could see her now as the last bell rang for the day. She stood just outside the school doors in conversation with a small group.

"Kori,..." I called, grabbing her attention fairly quickly. She turned to me, ignoring the girls beside her that tensed up at my arrival.

"Hey Richard."

I raised a brow at her. "Still calling me Richard huh?"

"Does it really bother you?"

"Only if it means your upset."

She sighed. "I'm kind of busy Richard. What do you need?"

It sounds ridiculous but I had sent word to Alfred to have my motorcycle brought to school since the rain had stopped, and here it was... just as I expected it to be. There was something different... better, about the ride with Kori when I had my bike and as a result I went out of my way to ride with her as much as I could. I handed her one of my motorcycle helmets, paying no mind to the giggles that erupted at this action. Kori accepted the helmet and returned her attention to her phone.

"Who are you texting? You've been distant all day." I finally asked, my frustration with her brimming now.

Her eyes flashed to mine with a sheepish smile. "No one, just ... friends."

I ran a hand through my hair then stepped to her. She lowered her phone as I motioned to the helmet. Releasing it to me she stood perfectly still as I lifted the helmet over her head, tucking the bottom strap tightly under her chin. She remained perfectly still, a childlike wonder in her eyes. It was moments like these where I cherished our friendship more then ever. Kori allowed me to be this close with her, no attachment expected or interpreted, she just allowed me to exist with her, not alongside her.

I leaned down slightly, checking that the latch had been tightened properly. "Did you want to stop at your house first?"

Kori hesitated. "I thought you made other plans... with Becca?"

My brow raised in frustration. I knew she knew how I was when it came to women, but I had already made plans with her. I couldn't cancel... especially since she had expected it of me. I ran a hand through my hair nervously. "Well... I was hoping to give you a ride home before we went to the Manor."

I was actually offended as her eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Kori, I told you we would try out the track and I meant it."

Now, even as I said this I could not believe the amount of anger I felt. The truth being that I was not upset with Kory in the least, but with myself. Kori had every right to anticipate my changing of plans, which I was famous for in her eyes and I adored her for understanding, but I was in fact offended. I looked to her with a burrowed brow.

She was focused on her phone again, avoiding my gaze, which was something I had grown to hate. I rolled my eyes, passing a glance to the blushing girls to out right. "Look... Ive..." I fell silent,... there was that noise again. I inhaled deeply now, Kori's eyes perking at the sound. I turned to find Becca.

"Dickie... I haven't seen you all day. I've been nothing but excited for our plans together." Becca said in a giggle. She glanced to Kori now giving her a fake smile. "Kori." Her tone finding a more hatred rooted tone.

While the girls I was with always forced a smile for Kori to make me happy I could see right through it. No one, ... no one I was dating or otherwise intimately tied to, liked Kori. I knew it, they knew it, and Kori didn't. She would go out of her way to ensure that whoever I was with at the time had a friend in her and I adored her for it. For the longest time I could never understand the full extent as to why Kori was held with such distaste by my admirers ... that is until I was older. I understand it know, and completely agree. Not to say that I would ever condone their hatred for her, but I suppose it made sense. Why wouldn't it? Kori was beautiful, genuinely kind and last and probably most important, she was close with me. I held Kori above all others, and while I knew she was aware of this, she never took advantage of it.

Kori smiled. "Hello Becca. How have you been?"

"Great, thanks. I heard you went to Miami with Dick?"

Kori nodded, finding no words to reply to the hollow conversation among strangers.

"I would have given anything to be there," Becca continued. She looked to me now. "So... what did you want to do?"

I looked to Kori who, to my delight, had focused upon me, anticipating my answer. I cleared my throat. "I'm actually busy with a few of my friends but your welcome to tag along."

The girl hesitated then with an eager smile agreed. "Alright, cool." I swung a leg over my bike, a hand finding its way behind me as Kori joined me. A smile escaped me as I revved the engine, Kori gripping onto me tightly. As I was certain Kori was prepared, I took off, skidding out of the school driveway.

The ride was brief and when we arrived at her house first she insisted on showering and redoing everything... whatever 'everything' means. She looked exactly the same when she exited the bathroom an hour and a half later. I stood and sighed in a prolonged stretch to emphasize how long she had taken to get ready. She looked to me with a smile but beyond that it was silent. She quickly vanished into her room and for some reason took forty five minutes to change her clothes.

She stepped to me now with a smile. I, of course, smiled in return handing the bike helmet to her once again.

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(A/N) Awww, I completely loved this chapter, but regardless... R/R ... =]


	3. Look Alive Sunshine

Chapter Three: ** Look Alive Sunshine**

**(Dick Grayson POV**)

The track was more of a smaller enclosed stadium... that was the bright side of having money, ... nothing was ever out of reach if you were willing to be patient. I had been nothing short of patient for this motocross track and it was perfect. I stood beside Kori, she was dressed and ready for the track ahead, anxious even, to try it out. I looked to her with a raised brow. "How many laps?"

"I only need one to sweep you." She said.

I loved it when she was competitive. That beautiful light that hung heavy behind her eyes darkened. I smiled, she was adorable in a moment like this. We both knew how this would end though. We hadn't rode in a few months but the habit never left me. She knew I would win, but her attempt at thrusting her competitive confidence on me sparked a fire in my veins. I was ready for her.

We raced around the track three times then came to a halt... me the victor, as expected. We looked to each other in gasps.

"That was intense." She said.

I nodded wiping sweat from my brow. "We should probably take a break. The others should be arriving soon."

As I said this I heard the rev of an engine. I looked to Kori who had taken off on the track again. I watched her with interest, her movements so fluid. It was made perfectly clear she wished it to be her and I for the day and as much as I should have changed my plans for her, I didnt.

She came to a halt to me now with a smile. "Your a lap behind Mr. Grayson."

I shook my head. "I'm serious Kori, I wanna meet up with Becca."

She nodded and even though I could see the disappointment in her face, I proceeded with my plans. We entered the living room, finding our friends, and Becca, waiting. They looked to us with narrowed eyes.

"You started without us?" Gar cried seeming slightly more offended then I thought he should have been.

I looked to Kori, we were both suited up, dirt clenched to our shoes proving we were fresh off the track. I ran a hand through my hair. "Becca, you eve ride before?" She shook her head with a smile. I took her hand avoiding Kori's look of disappointment as Becca and I disappeared into the hallway. I would have done anything to make Kori understand my true feelings for her but I had to be smarter then that. This was Kori after all, the mere idea of her relating to my feelings for her was ridiculous. It was because of this obvious fact that I had to be unchanged around her. I did not want to allow myself to step over the edge with Kori. All it would take is one slip up to turn that pretty little smile into a confused and awkward mess... a mess that would have been as a result of my actions alone. I never wanted anything to come between our friendship so I knew I had to watch myself with her. The sad part being,... I had to continue to be Dick Grayson, playboy, which mean't Kori was left on the sidelines.

Once Becca was changed into her racing clothes we joined the crowd back at the track. I smiled, Kori was in the middle of a race against Gar, and she was in the lead.

"She's gotten better," I heard Vic shout at the sidelines.

Becca and I stepped toward him, noticing Rachel sitting on the small bleachers. I nodded to her. "You're really not going to race?"

She didn't lift her eyes from her book as she spoke. "What's the point? I'd leave all you boys crying anyhow."

Vic turned to her now. "Is that a challenge, Rae?"

Her eyes lifted to his, slightly disturbed. "No... do not make this into a competition. I was..."

"Too late," Vic shouted, revving his engine at Rachel. There was a fire in his eyes. "You... me... now!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I said no Vic."

"And I said yes, Rea!"

There was a deafening silence between them. They both glared at each other, Vic with competitiveness and Rachel with stubbornness.

"You will not sway me."

Vic laughed now. "Fine, ... but just know, aint no woman or man beating me at my own game. If your scared I'm going to kick your butt across this track then fine..." he smiled, Rachel gritted her teeth at his arrogance. "...as long as you know I would."

"Your friends are... strange." I heard Becca whisper to me.

I ignored her comment and looked to Rachel, awaiting her response. The truth was, while I was attracted to Becca, I wasn't with her for the right reasons. Somewhere along the line, being Dick Grayson became this image that engulfed me. I wasn't a bad guy, although I could be and being Dick Grayson was an excuse, I had quickly learned, that was fine with everyone. While I often found myself enjoying the perks of being Bruce's ward, the fact is, it wasn't really about all the fame. As far as I was concerned, I had Kori and that was enough.

Now, the whole playboy scenario sparked my freshman year of high school. I welcomed it with a smile, like any guy my age would, passing through women as if it were my occupation. But... I don't always look back and remember being happy. I remember Kori, being happy with her, but not much else stuck firm in my memory. Eventually, I awoke one morning the title playboy burned across my forehead and an expectation to live up to this title. For some reason, in which I will never understand, with each new girl,... girl friend,... whatever they were to me at the time, came a sudden realization. Each of these women would enter into a relationship, no matter how brief, with me and would expect a committed Dick Grayson. It sounds pathetic to say out loud, but this just wasn't something I was capable of. I'm not sure if they had it in their head that they would be the one to change me or... I honestly don't know what they expected, but it was always the same. We were together, then I'd break up with them, they'd cry, or bitch, or... whatever,... and then they would try their hand at convincing me they were the one for me, completely blown away when I refused them. I couldn't understand this behavior and had no patience for it simple because they knew going into the situation with me that it would be brief, and yet... they keep finding their way to me, and I keep up the act. Who am I to refuse them... I was Dick Grayson, this was expected of me. At the same time, I wasn't innocent in the whole situation either. Even as I stood beside Becca I knew she was dying to be alone with me for a more intimate altercation, and I would oblige, but for now,...

Raven stood lowering her book to the seat. She did not speak but the frustration she felt was molded across her face, unflinching.

Vic looked to me, Rachel having disappeared through one of the doors to change her clothes. "This is gonna be good."

I nodded, then fell silent as Kori sped through the finish line, Gar a few seconds behind her. Becca and I stepped back as the two bikes came to a halt before us.

"Unfair!" Gar shouted.

Kori removed her helmet with a laugh, her hair whisking behind her beautifully as she spun her frail figure in a twirl of victory. "I hate to break it to you Gar, but that was all skill. There's nothing unfair about it."

Gar growled slightly. "You cut me off at the last corner."

"I'm sorry, I thought this was a competitive sport?" Kori laughed.

"She's right. I taught her everything she knows." I said, catching a cringe in the corner of my eye from Becca. Ignoring it I stepped to Kori. "Nice ride."

She nodded, the slight awkwardness in her glance remained, turning my stomach slightly. I still hadn't determined the reason for her distant behavior toward me but I was certain it would not continue for long. I just needed time with her to fix what I had done... what ever it was.

Korilooked to Becca. "Ever ride before?"

Becca hesitated, "No."

Kori paused, lifting a leg to eject the stand, and stepped away from the bike toward Becca. "Its real easy once you get the hang of it. Trust me, I was nervous at first..." she paused flashing a smile at me."... but you've got the best teacher around." I smiled as she did. "Well,... I suppose the only advice I can give you is to keep your head up. You'd be surprised how quickly you could lose control of the bike and find yourself flying over the handlebars."

"You would know." I teased.

Kori glared at me. "Thank you Dick, I'm well aware."

"Alright." Came Rachel's timid tone. We all turned to her. She had a smirk on her face, confidence screaming in her eyes. "Lets do this Vic."

We all sat back and watched as the two raced their hearts out. There were a few quick clashes between the two bikes but neither one got hurt and in the end, in surprise to all of us, Rachel came to a halt across the finish line first, an enraged Victor close behind. We could hear them bickering in the distance when a loud voice echoed off the stadium walls.

"Dick."

We all turned to see Bruce standing by the entrance.

"Looks like someones in for a long lecture." Kori giggled.

"You too Kori." Bruce chimed in again.

I laughed as her eyes went wide. "Partner in Crime."

She smiled, then followed as I led her to Bruce. He seemed overwhelmed as he stared down at us. It took a moment of silence before he spoke.

"It seems I am needed in New York for a few days." He looked to me unflinching. "Naturally that means while I'm away, appearances need to be kept up."

I rolled my eyes. "What now?"

Bruce cleared his throat, irritated by my uninterested tone. He looked to Kori knowing she would be more accommodating. "Kori, I need both of you to attend the charity event this weekend. As well there are several small appearances you with both need to make an appearance at. Alfred will give you all the details." His attention turned back to me. "I expect nothing but composure from you. No problems need to ensue while I'm away." He looked to Kori again. "I want you to make sure he remains his charming self."

Before I could object, Kori nodded. "Of course. Everything will be fine."

As Bruce left I turned to Kori with a sigh. "You always have to make things easy for him. I could have probably talked my way out of a few appearances if you hadn't..."

"Oh please,..." Kori said, ignoring my frustration and making her way back to the group. "You act as though its unexpected that Bruce would ask such a favor of you."

"It is unexpected."

"No... it really isn't. Its technically the opposite of unexpected. Short notice? ... maybe, but that's expected too. This has happened far too many times for you to still be shocked when it occurs again."

I rolled my eyes at her falling silent as Becca wrapped an arm around me, instantly drawing Kori's attention away from me.

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**(Kori Anders POV)**

beep, beEP, BEEP!

I lifted my drowsy arm to my phone, scraping it off my end table and bringing it to my view.

_'Who the hell would be calling me right now?'_ I looked to my clock. ... 3:45 am

My eyes flashed back down to my phone. I intended on ignoring the call then paused as I realized it was Dick. I hesitated my response then lifted the phone to my ear with a tired voice. "What?"

His voice had a hint of excitement in it, and it was perfectly clear he had yet to go to sleep for the night. It had been an entire day since I last was at his house with the gang enjoying the new track. I had seen Dick at school, but since he had drove Becca to school instead of me, I had hardly spoken with him, our schedules scattered against each others. Which I knew was expected. I might have mentioned before how much I loathed the idea of Dick finding himself a new girlfriend, and yet... the fact was that it was an inevitable event. Now that they were together, Dick would be less attached to me. Not that he had stopped caring about me only that his mind was focused on something... or rather someone... who made him happy in a more satisfying way... if you catch my drift. But it was fine, I was fine, he was fine, Becca was fine... everything was fine. As a matter of fact everything was far better then fine. With my sudden feelings for Dick, now that I think about it, Becca had not come at a better time. I was given an opportunity to spend less time with Dick, not that I really wanted to, but it was for the best. I had to separate myself from him until I could fully focus on calming my emotions around him. Which... of course made the conversation I was about to have with him ever more frustrating.

"Kor, can I pick you up?"

My mind froze. I looked to the clock again... 3:46 am now. "What?"

"Bruce just left for the airport. Let me pick you up."

"Dick..." I growled. I lay to my side now, rubbing at my tired eyes. "I _know_ you realize its almost four in the morning." He was silent. "...and that I was asleep when you called." Silence still. I sighed. "Dick,... why don't you call Becca? I'm tired."

"I just sent her home. Besides, its Friday night, you don't have to be at school tomorrow. Just let me come and get you."

"Correction, its Saturday morning, and no... I'm tired."

The truth being I would give anything to say yes to this request, although, as I have said before, I had recently put limits on myself when it came to Dick. I didn't want to be so needy around him, which I had come to learn I was. Needy, not only for his attention, but his love. A love that I knew would never be mine.

He chuckled. "Alright well, I'll be there in fifteen."

"No. Dick I'm serious..."

"Just get ready Kori." He replied, hanging up his phone before I could object.

There was a lag in my reaction as my mind struggled to understand what he had just said. Hugging my phone now, I shrugged. He hung up on me so I couldn't deny him which was fine, if he wanted to play that game, so could I. I'd just fall back asleep and leave him to himself waiting for me to answer the front door. I knew he hated when I said no to him, and he would try everything to get around my answer and convince me otherwise. I knew his tricks and even as he spun them ... I allowed them to pursue before my eyes, if only to see the spark in his as he won me over each time.

How long it had been... five minutes, the estimated fifteen? I didn't know, but I was asleep when I heard it. My mind was less then alert as the familiar sound of my door creeping open sounded. Sub-consciously my mind tried to wake itself but my exhaustion denied it. I heard my name, and then a hand was present upon my back.

"Kori." Dick whispered.

I turned to him with a sigh. He smelled of Becca's perfume which was clinging violently to my senses, his hair was flattened from I was certain was a night of excitement for him, and his eyes smiled down at me with the same innocence he had when he was younger. "How.. how did you get in here?"

My mind flashed wide alert as his smile washed over me. "You don't really think I don't have a key to this place, do you?"

I hesitated then exhaling slowly, buried my head into my pillow. "Let me sleep."

I felt his hand on mine as he pulled me into a seated position. I hung my head heavy, my hair frizzed and all over the place. My eyes were shut, and I had no intention of waking.

He pulled me onto my feet, ... I wavered for a moment, catching my own balance. With a small grunt of annoyance I lifted a hand to my head. "Come on Dick, ... I'm way too tired for this. Can't it wait 'til later?"

He didn't speak just merely took my hand and brought me out into the hallway. I ignored his laughter as I almost stumbled down the stairs in my tired daze. He kept his hand on mine as we stepped into the cold night. My eyes remained open now, moving my hands over my arms as I shivered.

"Your awake now," he said with a laugh.

"Really?" I said with frustration as I stared back at our mode of transportation. I turned to him while he stared at me confused. "You brought your bike? ... not a warm cozy car? Dick its four in the morning and I'm freezing."

He stepped to me without words, fitting the helmet over my unruly morning hair and placing his jacket around me. He sat on the bike looking to me. My mind was still lagging behind as I stared back at him refusing to move. He revved the engine a look of satisfaction on him as he noticed me jump at the sound.

Let me just pause to draw attention to the fact that I looked horrible at the moment. My matted hair spilled from the bottom of the helmet I wore in utter chaos, I wore a pair of black shorts and beneath Dick's leather jacket was an over sized sweatshirt. I knew I looked ridiculous and I could of sworn, as I stood before him in a fit, that a smirk resided beneath his helmet as he himself noticed my present appearance. The truth being I was far too tired to argue with him anymore,... he and I both knew I would agree to go with him, after all I was already outside.  
I sighed then tossed a leg over the bike and brought my arms around his waist. As I rested my head upon his back, a sense of warmth settled over me. Even as he revved the engine again and took off at a quick speed, I felt safe with him.

We arrived at the Manor now, it stood tall and intimidating as ever, even in the dark night. Dick jumped off the bike and turned to me with a smile. "You awake now?"

I removed the helmet from my tired face and sighed. "I hate you right now."

"And yet..." he extended a hand to mine, pulling me up the steps now. "...you're still here."

We entered the house, the noise of the door shutting behind us echoed off the grand halls in the mansion. Dick looked to me with a lingering smile.

"Alfred's gone too isn't he?" I asked, his sinister grin far too predictable to me.

"That's right."

We sat in front of the tv now. Dick flipped through the channels as I scoped out the new magazines which lay on the table before me. Neither of us spoke for a good hour, just existing alongside each other in silence. I had been upset initially that Dick had awoken me for what seemed no purpose but now it was clear to me. This was something, now that I think about it, that he and I did often. We were perfectly capable, comfortable even, just sitting in silence. We had become so close over the years that moments like this comforted us, made us feel ... I don't know how to explain it in words but... it is what it is. It was normal for us. And it was right now I realized he was feeling lonely. It was a strange thing to acknowledge... Dick Grayson... lonely? He'd never admit it, no one would ever really believe it, but I was well aware. And as much as I hate the feeling, I knew I was apart of this.

During school, actually to be more accurate, since our last night in Miami I had been distant. It was not his fault it was mine, which hopefully you will agree was not intentional. I was transitioning with my feelings for him. What can I say, it was strange, awkward even, at times. Not because he acted any different, but that I felt inclined to. Dick had this way about him when it came to me. We were best friends, and while I was well aware he viewed me in a different light then most, his over attentiveness with me had now spawned feelings in which I could no longer ignore. All the limitations I had designated for myself and thoroughly explained to you... I was breaking every one of them just by being here.

My eyes scanned over the last magazine and a laugh escaped me.

"What is it?" He asked, his eyes not leaving the television.

I shook my head staring down at the picture. It, of course, was a picture of Dick and I. I remember where it was taken. It must have been about a week and a half ago, while we were in Miami. It was one of the first days since we had arrived in Florida and we were sitting on the beach. I was in my favorite bikini, Dick, shirtless behind me. The picture, and the words below it sent the wrong idea of what was really going on but that was the media for you.

I remember the conversation well. I had spouted a comment off to Dick for flirting with a much older lady that had passed and he lifted himself from behind me and whispered in my ear with a laugh. Now this was what the picture showed, a flirtatious Dick Grayson leaning over to my ear, all smiles, and I looked even less innocent in the photograph. I was mid giggle, slightly turned at an angle, our eyes staring into one anothers.

I laughed showing the picture to Dick. "Apparently you and I had a honeymoon."

He turned to the photo and snatched the magazine from me. His eyes skimmed over the bold font beneath the picture. "Watch out ladies, it appears Dick Grayson has taken more then just a friendly liking to Kori Anders, previously referred to as nothing more then a lifelong friend, in Miami this week. Just a friendly getaway or pre-honeymoon? You decide." He chuckled looking to me then tossed the magazine to the table again. "Well pre-wife, what are you hungry for?"

"I don't know..." I ran a hand through my frizzed hair. "Nothings open this late."

He nodded, "And Alfred's gone so..." he stood. "..we might actually have to make something for ourselves."

I looked to him with narrowed eyes. Dick was modest and never took advantage of the life he was privileged to but he was not one to ... cook. This was strange, but the smile on his face made me agree. I stood and followed him into the large kitchen.

"I..." he paused glancing around the kitchen, a hand remaining on his scalp as he rubbed at his thick locks. "I don't know where anything is."

I stepped before the fridge and sighed. Everything was labeled and organized to Alfred's specific liking. The inside of the fridge resembled, what I would assume, an office supply closet would look like. Containers lined every inch of the shelves, each with its own designated label. "This... is too much."

Dick stepped behind me, looking over my shoulder. "Yea.. I swear Alfred's got O.C.D."

I shut the fridge with a sigh, my stomach growling merely with the knowledge that there would be nothing to eat.

"Lets make this." He said, his head buried within one of the cupboards to my right. He pulled a small can of spaghetti sauce and a package of noodles.

"Spaghetti?" I said, my tone mirroring my lack of interest in the idea.

He paused surfacing a bottle of wine from the cupboard. "Are you sure you're not up for it?"

I smiled. This was the meal we had minimum once a month together. We would gather around a plate of spaghetti, wine sparking our conversation in laughter. We had started this small unspoken tradition years ago. I would cook and Dick would polish the bottle of wine off before I could even get a sip. We would then spend another ten minutes searching for Bruce's key to the cellar in order to retrieve another bottle, and by then Dick was a goner. This was undoubtedly my favorite time to have a conversation with him though. He wasn't trying to choose his words sparingly for my feelings or for any other odd reason, his lips were an endless river of honest conversation. Not that he was fake with me in any normal occasion, only that now, while he had liquid courage on his side, he was more open with me. He would revive memories, our memories, from the past that had last been neglected, and I often times discovered that he was far less emotionless then he acted. He would tell me of scenarios in his life, whether past or recent, and we would dissect the way he responded when faced with such a situation versus the way he would have liked to have acted.

I remember one night,... we were deep in our spaghetti and whine combination and he turned to me with a look I had never seen before. I remember every second in this moment as he struggled with his words. My eyes fell to his mouth, his lower lip pressed inward between his teeth as he remained suspended in thought. A hand moved toward me, ours intertwined now, his eyes more intense then I could probably be able to bare now. Then, with the crack of his uneven voice, he thanked me. I wasn't entirely sure for what at first but then he continued by saying he often felt as though he would disappear, the media slowly disintegrating the person he was on the inside, and that he would always be grateful to me for returning him to himself.

Now this... this undeniably romantic night... I was hoping to keep strictly friendship oriented and not allow myself to give in to his oh so tempting closeness that I was confident would ensue.

I nodded accepting the bottle from him and lowered it to the counter. "I'll handle the wine, you can deal with the spaghetti."

Ten minutes later there we were standing over the stove, each a glass of wine in hand, waiting for the spaghetti to be done.

"I'm serious..." Dick laughed. "... this charity event is going to be one big mess. Mark my words."

I shook my head. "Dick, you don't always have to be negative about these situations. Its a charity event... key word.. charity. You should be more..."

"Yea, yea." He replied silencing me. "Its not that I don't want to be there its that..." he paused then looked to me with a laugh.

"...its that you _really_ don't want to be there?" I said, joining in his laughter.

"Kori?"

My head shot up... my eyes widened now at the figure that stood at the entrance of the kitchen. "Becca?"

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(A/U)... alright so here's chapter three, hope it continues to interest you. I've got chapter four written just need some to do some editing but it will be up shortly. Thanx for reading

** krikanalo** ... Glad you enjoyed. Thanx for the encouragement =]


	4. Falling In Reverse

Chapter Four: **Falling in Reverse**

_My head shot up... my eyes widened now at the figure that stood at the entrance of the kitchen. "Becca?"_

That's right... Becca. There, right in front of me, draped in one of Dick's button up dress shirts. At the risk of sounding jealous... it would have been my opinion she was definitely neglecting the use of said buttons. Aside from Dick's shirt, a risqué set of undergarments was all that lay beneath, her perfectly tanned skin on display before us. I immediately turned to Dick. His smile had faded, a dazed look upon his face now. Not dazed as in _surprised_ to see Becca in the house, no, dazed as in the wine had long since taken effect on him. Because lets face it, this wasn't the first time I'd been in this position, and was well aware that I had a fifty-fifty chance of her still lurking in one of the rooms... especially since Dick had offered to tell me Becca had already been sent home when he usually avoids the subject all together.

So here I was, in front of Becca, drinking wine with her boyfriend in the middle of the night. See, this is where the whole 'male/female' friendship success rate tends to fail. If you asked either of us, Dick and I, we would tell you that a boy and a girl were perfectly capable of holding a close, strong friendship without any intimacy or problems attached, others ... would disagree, and I believe this exact situation I was in, was why. The truth was, Richard held friendship above any relationship when in the real world a girlfriend is meant to trump best friend. If the past proved anything to me at all, where Dick and his girlfriends were concerned, everything could go smoothly for quite some time but eventually a moment like this would happen and it was all down hill from there, for me at least. Bottom line, ... eventually the boundaries of friendship and 'something more' would feel breached. And right now, as I looked back to Becca I could see that she had felt that way.

I found myself thinking... why not? She had every right to be suspicious. Mere hours ago she had been with Dick and now she's standing in front of her boyfriend at 5:30 in the morning beside the tipsy best friend. Now this... this scenario was difficult for me. In the past I never felt guilty for spending time with Dick because I didn't understand what was so wrong with something like this. I was entirely innocent in the matter after all I was just hanging out with my best friend, ... but back then I didn't have feelings for him. Now I did... and that definitely complicated things. I lowered my gaze from Becca's suspicious glare... I actually felt guilty. The entire moment fell around me now in a different perspective.

I found myself disgusted with...well, myself. The midnight drive to my house and back... the spaghetti... the wine... the entire scene played through my head and I knew this was wrong. Perhaps for Dick it was all innocent, but I couldn't honestly say that for myself... not anymore. As much as I had fought it, I had giggled more, lingered longer in gazes at those blue eyes he hides so often, ... and in the end I was attracted to Dick, instantly making the situation wrong for me to have allowed. I had done my best to make Becca comfortable around me, and view me more as a friend then an enemy in a war for Richard's attention. But it was this defining moment that always shattered their trust in me... and for the first time I was in the wrong. If I'm being entirely honest, I wasn't a threat to Becca in the least, despite having these new feelings for Dick, I would never dream of intervening in one of his relationships. I was never that type of girl, and I'm sure, there is a large majority of the women who say they aren't this type of girl when they really are, ... but this is me, I wasn't... couldn't be like that. Which I'm sure sounds like utter hypocrisy since I'm currently in a situation most would consider to be a habit of these type of girls, but despite the guilt I felt, I would never have done anything to draw any amount of direct attention to my feelings for Dick. I was constantly trying to drown them in the back of my mind as it were.

Anyway, this situation would normally have been handled by a simple explanation, by Dick, as to why I was standing in the kitchen at this hour and his casual demeanor and over all innocence in the manner would ring with truth. The women would automatically forgive Dick, because they could never bring themselves to stay mad at him, it would far too easy for them to be crossed off his mental list of women he had dumped. For me though... the damage had already been done, and while these women always endured my presence when Dick was around, when he wasn't their inner bitch would surface. But, as I said, this situation felt different,... new to me. I had no idea how the situation would play out before me, for I had guilt written all over my face.

When Dick finally spoke, my frantic gaze, which had previously remained upon the floor, focused on him now. His words weren't slurred, but I wouldn't say they were as clear as they normally would have been. Those blue eyes remained focused on the glass of wine on the counter before him. "I didn't realize you'd be making an appearance this early."

I swallowed hard, awkwardness filling the air as Becca's attention passed a glance from me to Dick, then back to me. "I didn't realize she were here."

I cleared my throat, setting my glass of wine on the counter now. "Yea... umm,... " My mind was blank but my veins pumped a bitter feeling that screamed guilt through my body, the feeling becoming increasingly overwhelming . I licked at my dry lips, cursing the wine for having made using my voice a struggle. I cleared my throat hoping it would help me find words, but it was of no use, so I was especially grateful when Dick chimed in with the silence.

"Did we wake you?"

Becca's immediate hesitation brought my eyes to hers again only to find her grinning back at Richard. I lifted my glass to my lips now avoiding the awkwardness, for me, as Becca placed her arms around him, kissing him once. "No, I was... really tired." She smiled up at Dick, which he seemed to ignore, then looked to me again. "Mmmm, smells good. What are you making?"

Dick stepped away from her, leaning back upon one of the counters. "This is kind of something Kori and I do together... alone."

The shock upon my face as Dick said this must have been extremely noticeable because Becca glared at me now. Quickly composing herself before him she said, "Are you really asking me to leave?"

I immediately looked to Dick his expression held relentless against her whimper. The silence, for me felt like an eternity. I inhaled deeply, then returning my wine glass to the counter I tried to step passed them. "You know what... Dick I'm tired. I should probably just..."

"No..." he said. He had stepped in front of me, blocking my path and looking to me offended. "You said you were hungry and the foods almost done."

I looked nervously to Becca who had made me increasingly uncomfortable in my own surroundings with every second. I swallowed hard as her rage focused upon me from behind Dick, him being unaware of this. I sighed, a hand on my forehead now. "No... really, its fine. I shouldn't have come over, I'm... " I paused, my mind flashing blank again as I tried to avoid the glares being sent my way from both of them now. "... look, Dick, I'm tired I told you that." I looked to Becca, stepping back now. "I'll see you around."

My footsteps once out of the kitchen, even as I heard another set of shoes behind me, became rushed. My eyes were on my phone as I made my way through the hallways by memory. I stopped before the doorway with a sigh instantly remembering I had not driven here. I paused, looking to the thin table to my right, a smile escaped me as I noticed a tray of keys. While most belonged to Bruce I knew the ones that belonged to Dick's bike would be near the top.

"Kori!"

I turned with a laugh masking the fact he had startled me. He looked to me with narrowed eyes. "Kori... what do you think your doing?"

A small hiccup escaped me before I could speak. I hesitated reading Dick's current expression of anger and confusion for me. My palms were sweaty now, and while I tried to keep a calm and carefree expression, my eyes, I could feel, were cowering before Richard's. I knew he could tell there was something bothering me, and I felt angry for not being able to explain myself to him. He didn't deserve this odd behavior from me and I knew it, but the fact was... I couldn't keep calm around him anymore. I could feel this entire situation around him and I becoming suffocating, the walls around us closing in mercilessly. He stared down at me, almost hurt, that I would leave and at the last moment, when I thought I might burst of emotion... laughter. That's right laughter... that was all I could do to remove myself from the situation. I couldn't tell him I was feeling guilty because I had been unintentionally flirting with him earlier, so yea... laughter. He looked to me even more confused, as if I had gone a little crazy with the wine.

I shook my head, my laughter forming into words now. "Dick, seriously, I'm tired. It's better that I just... go home and sleep. We have that interview today and I want to be well rested, which wont happen if I'm here." My eyes widened, a finger poking his chest. "You know this to be true."

I felt accomplished by my ability to sound so casual with him when inside I was screaming, but that feeling was soon overshadowed by his words.

"I don't think it's a good idea that you leave. I wont feel comfortable with you leaving like this." I swallowed hard as he stepped to me, lowering his voice. "If this is about Becca, don't worry about her, its fine. She isn't mad."

Stopping myself from rolling my eyes proved harder than I would have anticipated... he was so oblivious. After tonight... this morning... whichever you prefer, Becca hated me, and what was worse, I was on her side. Discarding this truth, I lowered my voice to a whisper now, a small laugh escaping me. "There's no need to whisper, I'm tired not upset." I paused, he looked to me now hesitantly, and before he could ask me if I was sure, I said, "Trust me Dick, ... I just needs some rest. You and I can do this some other time... really."

He nodded reluctantly, his own exhaustion taking over now. "Alright well, I'd drive you home but..."

"No... ," I interrupted. "... I'll drive myself. Give me the keys to your bike." I turned back to he bowl of keys that had caught my attention before his arrival. "Are they in here?"

"I was gonna say..." he paused lifting his phone from his pocket. As I heard him dialing I looked to him. He finished dialing and placed the phone against his ear. "...I was gonna say I'd drive you but because I've had too much to drink... both of us have, I wouldn't feel safe driving you." He paused his attention suddenly becoming dazed as he spoke to the other end of the line now. "Hey, uhh... this is Dick Grayson, ... yea ... I need..."

I lunged toward him violently taking the phone from his ear and canceling the call. "Are you crazy?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He said looking at me with wide eyes.

"Come on now Dick! Are you serious? You were really going to call for a car?" I laughed in annoyance. "That would be great for my mother to learn about on the front of a magazine."

As I focused on my frantic breathing, Dick fell silent. Just from his expression I could tell he knew I was right. With Bruce out of town, Alfred gone, my mother away as well, the media had a target over us, hoping as teenagers we would slip up, serving them a front page story. This was the last thing we needed before the interview which was later today. I could see the headlines now, preaching of the possibilities at my reason for needing a car to leave Dick's house so early in the morning, not to mention I looked as though I hadn't slept, which I hadn't, and still wore my pajamas.

"I wasn't thinking."

The words left his mouth in a way that instantly dissolved the guilt for Becca which flowed through me, and consumed me in guilt for him. I had never felt so selfish toward Dick then right now. I had been so caught up in my own thoughts and issues I had found myself yelling at him, which was something I never did. Yea, so I might have been right, the tabloids would have a field day with this, but the look on his face didn't make me feel any better. Regardless of all that I had mentioned before,... all the guilt for Becca, the desire to avoid Dick, ... all of it came to a halt, leaving my mind entirely. All that mattered in this moment was the look upon his face. At the end of the day he was my best friend and I had been selfish, sending him in confusing circles while I tried to deal with my own issues behind forced smiles and awkward behavior.

I looked up to him and smiled. When I lifted a hand to his shoulder his eyes were like daggers into mine. I knew he was reading my expression, trying to decipher what exactly was going through my mind, and for the first time since Miami, I was actually displaying my real feelings before him.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled." I laugh slightly. "I'm tired... really tired, and cranky and... I'm sorry."  
He hesitated, his eyes still observing me, as if my eyes would somehow tell him if I was lying. Then, I felt him inhale deeply, embracing me quickly. "If you insist on leaving then..."

I stepped back from him. "Trust me Dick, I had one glass of wine, one in which I didn't finish." I smiled. "I'm fine, just give me the keys."

He hesitated, but as he did I noticed his left hand fall over his pocket. "I don't know..." My eyes narrowed, a sinister grin upon my face now as I stepped toward him. His hesitation melted away as he noticed me, and he shook his head with a laugh. "I know what you're doing and don't think for one second I'd let you."

I could tell by my childish behavior now that he was already in a better mood. I stepped to him with no words, nothing but a smirk. He came to a halt, backed up against the hallway wall.

"Give me the keys Dick. I know they're in your pocket." I said extending a hand toward his which remained against his jeans. He shook his head with a childish grin, which faded as I paused, my expression turning mischievous. "If you don't, I suppose I'll just have to take Bruce's car..." I lifted a finger to my chin in thought as I stepped back toward the door now. "...lets see... should I take the Bentley?... No... not nearly flashy enough for me... perhaps the Rolls-Royce? ... you know I can't resist the classics..."

He shook his head, fighting back a smirk in front of me.

I stopped before the small table where the jar of keys remained. Lifting the top set to my possession I dangled in front of him. "Looks like it's the Lamborghini."

"Alright... alright..." he said with a laugh. He stepped to me, immediately relieving the keys from my grasp. I paused, a triumphant look upon my face as he removed the keys from his pocket and extended them toward me. His eyes were intense now as I tried to take the keys. His hand and mine were in a slight tug of war. "Just promise me you'll get home safe."

I swallowed hard, every emotion I had for him raging into a full-blown crossfire now. "Yea... of course."

After having endured a quick embrace from him, he allowed me to leave, asking only that I call him once I arrived at home. When I returned home, my mind was bursting with a million thoughts. I wasn't sure which to entertain first... Becca? Dick? the interview I was suppose to be present at in a few hours? If there was one thing I knew, it was that I needed one hell of a distraction, because if things kept going the way they were I wouldn't be surprised to find myself in the hospital having a mental breakdown. It sounds dramatic, but if you only knew all the details involved in my life right now, details in which were slowly devouring me, you would agree.

When I got home I was greeted by my sister Komi... she wasn't awake, thankfully, but her presence was hard to miss. She lay scattered across the couch with her boyfriend, a sea of empty beer cans beneath their feet. I sighed, ... if only my mother could see how charming my sister was in this moment, maybe then she'd put more limitations on Komi and eventually lead to making her a more enjoyable person to be around. Either way, I don't know why I'm allowing my sister to intervene in my thoughts, probably because she seemed to be enjoying her life at the moment while mine was slowly crumbling, but I shrugged it off and made my way upstairs.

By the time I rested my hand on the banister I realized the full extent of my exhaustion. My legs struggled to carry me up the stairs and when I entered my room my body cried out even more. I stood, shoulders heavy and knees ready to buckle, as I stared back at what I had hoped would be an empty room. It was clear now that the party Komi had last night was not secluded to her and her boyfriend, for two very unfamiliar faces lay in embrace upon my bed, their clothes scattered across my bedroom floor. Why I stood there so long just staring at their figures cozy upon my bed, and tangled in my sheets, I don't know why. Maybe I thought my mind was playing tricks on me and if I stared at the scene long enough it would prove to be nothing more than an illusion my tired eyes had designed for me... but it wasn't so. What I did know is that this day was proving to be one of the worst I had in quite some time now, and it had hardly begun.

Closing my door now, I stepped into the hallway checking the time on my phone... 6:18 am. The silence which embodied me now lingered for a brief moment then a thought came to me. With my room momentarily in use, Komi asleep on the couch, the guest room... to be honest I was afraid to check, especially since my room which was at the end of the hall had already been occupied, there was no telling what I would find in any other of the rooms... I knew there was only one place I could go... and it wasn't back to Dicks house, which normally I would have done. It was almost 6:30 which meant only one of my friends was even remotely alert at this time. I looked down to my phone again...

_**Kori**: Rae... you awake?_

There was a brief pause... I wanted more than anything for her to respond.

_**Rachel**: On my way to get coffee._

I released a sigh of frustration. I was hoping to have caught her before she had left.

_**Rachel**: Is Dick there?_

_**Kori**: No, why?_

_**Rachel**: I'm staring at his bike right now._

I smiled, racing down the steps of my house and entering out into the early morning again. Rachel turned to me with a raised brow, lowering her phone to her pocket. "What happened to you? You look horrible."

I nodded. "Yes well... it's a long... difficult story." I paused, her expression remained firm. "I was wondering if I could go with you to get coffee?"

"Komi must have had one hell of a party last night. Who'd you hook up with?"

My eyes narrowed to hers and she released a brief laugh. We both knew that wasn't the case of my distraught appearance, but none the less she enjoyed inflicting embarrassment on me once in a while. I didn't mind though, it was really the only time I heard an actual convincing laugh from her so I just went along with it.

"You can borrow some of my clothes if you don't mind sporting a less colorful fashion statement."

It was now that I looked down at my clothes for the first time since Dick had forced me from my home in the middle of the night. I inhaled deeply, realizing how sloppy I looked and agreed that I had no desire to step into the public eye as such.

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I sat now, alone, in a stretched white limo. My time with Rachel was nothing short of a relief. It had been a few hours since she brought me back from the coffee shop but I still felt much better with myself. As quiet and careless as Rachel seemed, when it came down to friendship, and it was just her and I in a quiet environment, she was very helpful. She wasn't the type of girl to giggle and agree with me when I had done something questionable, like most girl friends would do, no, she would tell me straight, her opinion most times was nothing short of a reality check. It's not to say that she was rude about her delivery of said realization and advice, because she wasn't, but others might have taken her that way. The difference was, ... I knew Rachel, I knew when she told me I was being an idiot about certain things it wasn't to put me down, for she simply had this raw, straightforward way about her.

In any event, I had spent almost an hour and a half with her at the coffee shop just talking. I didn't go into detail about me and Dick but rather disguised my troubles with Komi's party having kept me up all night only to find two random people in my bed. She laughed at my misfortune and told me not to take it personal. She said not to worry about Komi, she was a bitch, she always had been and always would be, and to stop expecting any different from her. I agreed but at the same time, Komi was officially the last thing on my mind. After I left Rachel I came home to find the house just as I had left it, aside from the man who stood just outside my front porch.

It was now that I noticed the stretched white limo parked a little ways down my street. The gentleman looked to me with a smile and it was obvious he was aware of who I was... which might I add was not something I was entirely used to. I'll spare you the details of awkward conversations among strangers, because the point was, I had every intention of driving to the interview in my car, but as it turned out Dick had other plans. The driver informed me that Dick had sent for him hours ago with instructions to escort me throughout my day, and while I would have much rather taken a more subtle approach than a limo... I couldn't exactly say no, the man was already here.

In the end I stopped by my mothers office down town and retrieved the proper paperwork needed for the interview, and now... here I am, sitting alone in this limo. My palms were sweating more and more as the building where the interview was to take place came into view. My nerves jolting as my phone vibrated beside me.

_**Dick**: Try and relax Kor_

I looked down at my phone with a smile. I knew Dick was somewhere within sight of me, but I couldn't spot him. He was aware of the limo I was in... he had chosen it. I glanced around at the cars surrounding me... there... that was it, it had to be. A black limo a few cars ahead of mine remained in a halt to traffic. I could have sworn I saw the outline of his spiked hair in the back window, but there was no way to be certain. I looked down at my phone again, Dick's text giving me more comfort then it probably should have. The truth was, I didn't mind attending these occasions once I was there but the initial build up of such a scene was always too much for me. I would pull up and exit the limo, being attacked by camera flashes and endless questions... all of which shoved me down into an overwhelmed state of nerves. How these paparazzi, or what ever they prefer to be called, learned of this interview, I'm not sure, nor did I agree that it was the most interesting thing happening in town today.

I inhaled deeply as I noticed Dick step out of the black limo in the distance in a dashing suit. A smile crept across my face, he was charming, everything people expected from him. The crowd cheered, feeding his ego, which I might add was never present around me, but the public ate it up. My anticipation grew more intense now as my limo came to a halt just before where he stood. I turned in my seat as he reached for the handle of the door. A nervous smile graced my lips as he took my hand and brought me to stand beside him. We smiled side by side, for the cameras, ignoring the questions that flew past us at an alarming rate. Then right as I felt I may never recover proper sight from the attacking camera flashes which stung at my eyes we found ourselves entering the building. My nervousness melting as we passed the threshold.

Dick took my hand with a smile. "Not so bad now is it."

Before I could answer a woman stepped to us. She was speaking to both of us, but her eager eyes remained fixed upon Dick.

"Mr. Grayson, Miss Anders, you are right on time." She took a step back, motioning to a set of double doors in the distance. "Right this way."

Now, I suppose I should explain. This interview we were attending was a result of a business deal between my mothers company and Bruce's. I wouldn't even consider it an interview, it was more of a conference, or a business meeting. We had to exchange paperwork for the deal between companies, a small interview to take place before its end. Again, I didn't mind attending and participating in such things, but the media made it difficult to deal with. We, both of us, had to creep carefully around our words, choosing the most appropriate and least willing to be taken out of context. Sounds simple enough, but I had learned long ago that there was never the right thing to say, the media would manipulate my words no matter how innocent and to the point they were.

I sat now beside Dick at a large table, a set of three people staring wide-eyed across from us.

"Good afternoon Mr. Grayson... Ms. Anders." One of them said.

Dick took the initiative to speak first, knowing I would still be recovering from my nerves. By the way he spoke, the confidence in his voice, you would never have guessed he was simply hating every minute, but then again he was always better at this then I was.

Now before this goes any further let me just point out one small fun fact about Richard. In the past when we were first old enough to begin 'keeping up appearances' when our parents were gone, I was a million times more nervous the I was ever today. The advice Dick gave me, and still lives by today, was something he liked to call... the 'two sentence rule'. Sounds ridiculous, and yea, it is, but believe me when I tell you this actually works. This rule originated when we were young, and way before Dick's playboy era, which he had recently broadened the use of the rule to women as well as the media. In other words, what started out as a way to deal with the media eventually spawned into this supposedly suave approach to women. Obviously the rule does work wonders, especially taking into consideration all the women Dick has victimized by this rule, but again... I'm babbling.

Alright, so the 'two sentence rule'... plain and simple, ... respond and initiate conversations with no more than two sentences. Sounds like a flimsy tactic but it has helped me through some awkward times. The theory, as he explained to me, is that when you find yourself in a conversation with someone you really don't like or even know... in order to remain polite and seem interested, you had to force yourself to bring together two sentences to reply. Now in reverse, if in an interview and asked a question you really didn't want to give too much detail on for fear of increasing the amount of room to have your words taken out of context, you kept it simple and limited yourself to two sentences. So, here's an example... and you'll notice Dick lives solely by this rule...

"Good Morning to you as well." He smiled warmly at the one female reporter, and she blushed instantly. "It seems that with Bruce out of town, your stuck with Kori and I."

"I think we'll manage." The man of the right chuckled, the other two reporters were in heated writing. As if every word that escaped Dick was pure gold.

The interview was long, and boring, but I had eventually brought myself to speak in the conversation, aiding Dick in the logistics of the two companies contract. And just when I felt my most confident, the interview almost over, it took a turn.

"Well, Mr. Grayson, it seems that you two have cleared up a lot of speculation on this contract between the two most successful companies around." One of the reporters said.

Dick nodded. "I was glad I could be of help. Now if only I could do anything about the immense amount of paper work we both have to deal with."

The reporters laughed in response to this comment, and I did as well. It was a hollow laugh, and as Dick looked to me with a raised brow I could tell he had noticed. One of the reporters paused, and as he looked to me, my mind froze. "I suppose the only other questions we could pose is that of you... Miss Anders."

This was the part I despised the most. We were faced with three people, two men and one woman, and yet I got the feeling only one of them was a business man, the other two seemed like a microphone to the press. I giggled nervously. "And what would that be?"

"There have been several cases of rumors which suggest that you and Mr. Grayson have eloped."

I laughed, then lifting my left hand to their view I said, "Nope, ... still in high school. Besides, Dick and I are just friends, the sooner the media understands that, the less controversy will surround us. I mean..." I fell silent as Dick cleared his throat, and I instantly knew why. I was rambling again, something I found difficult to bring to a halt while in an interview.

Dick sent me a warm smile then looked to the reporters. "I would think that with the current situation both of our families are far too busy to consider anything other than the events this week. We're both fairly excited for what this all means to the company."

The woman spoke now. "Mr. Grayson is it not true that you have recently departed to Miami with Miss Anders?"

He nodded carelessly but I could tell he had become frustrated with the woman's lack of common courtesy. It was obvious neither of us wished to discuss anything personal between us, whether we were just friends or not. Regardless of his thoughts, Richard leaned back in his seat. "Absolutely, we returned from Miami about a week ago." He looked to me with a smile. "There's never a better way to spend a summer then with a best friend."

I smiled, adding. "... right, which of course his best friend wasn't available." I shrugged. "I was the next best thing I suppose."

The reporters laughed at my words and continued to scribble in their small folders.

"Now... the charity event," The last man said. "Mr. Grayson you do have plans on attending since Mr. Wayne is in New York, correct?"

Dick nodded. "Definitely. I'm looking forward to it."

"And will you be escorting Miss Anders?" The woman asked.

Dick hesitated, then turned to me. "I haven't asked her yet. Although,... something tells me its alright to assume that I am."

I smiled giving him a nod, then that was it, the interview ended and Dick and I went our separate ways. We had made a rule that when we were 'keeping up appearances' while our parents were out of town that we would avoid being together in the public eye as much as we could... it just made things a little easier for both of us. The less amount of pictures that could be taken of us meant the less dramatic stories surrounded us.

I was home now, untangling myself from the clothes I once wore and fit myself into a pair of shorts and a tank. To my surprise the house was clean and empty, as if the mess I had walked into this morning never occurred. Komi was gone, my room was empty, not that I felt any more comfortable in my room simply knowing the events that had taken place the night before. My phone was ringing constantly, but I knew it was Dick. The plan was for me to return to the manor with him but I was too exhausted to oblige. I turned my phone off and lay out across the couch with a sigh. It was perfect, my phone...off, my sister Komi... gone for the night, my eyes... closing... utter silence. Then, just as I felt my body completely give in to my tiredness, a loud bang sounded at my front door. I ignored it hoping whoever it was would just go away, but then came a voice.

"I know you're there Kori. I just saw the limo leave."

"Go away!" I shouted, my voice cracking with exhaustion.

"Its Rachel let me in."

I rolled my eyes. "Rae, I can't do this right now. I'm..."

"Just open the door."

I hesitated, I may have been tired but I could tell by the tone in Rachel's already monotone voice that something was wrong. I pulled myself up off the couch and pulled the front door open. Rachel shut the door behind her and I collapsed on the couch again.

"He is such an asshole I can't even ..." she began.

She looked to me, and with the silence I forced my eyes open. "I'm listening."

I could hear her pacing now. "Why was your phone off?"

"I'm tired, its my way of telling people to leave me alone." I paused looking to her. Her brow was raised in much aggravation. I sat up now, leaning my head on my right palm, feeling guilty for brushing her off when she had helped me this morning. "I'm sorry, you have my full attention... I promise."

She inhaled deeply, pacing again. "The little prick won't leave me alone. He's diving me crazy and my patience isn't exactly becoming more lenient with him."

My eyes narrowed. "Who are you talking about?"

She hesitated, then lowered herself to a chair across from me. She gritted her teeth, trying with everything she had to stop herself from saying his name. "Gar."

"Gar?"

"Yes, Gar, Garfield Logan, the idiot that hangs around us all the time. The genius who decided dying his hair green was a smart decision."

I nodded. "Alright, so... what exactly does he do to bother you so much? You seem... really angry at him for something."

Rachel lowered her gaze as if guilty her own emotions were true. "He ... everything he does infuriates me. I can't ... I can't stop... thinking ... about him."

My mind flashed alert now. Did I just hear her correctly? I know that I had been out of the loop with Rachel lately as a result of Dick, but this was entirely unexpected. I replied in a stutter. "Wha- what?"

She rolled her eyes, hating herself for admitting it. "I can't explain it. Somehow his idiocy ... entices me." She looked to me with rage. "I hate it. I hate him."

"I believe you." I replied confidently. She was glaring, and while I'm not certain if she knew it, this is how conflicted she was with herself. "So... have you told him?"

Her eyes flashed red now. "Are you crazy?"

My eyes were wide now too. "I... no, I just.. I don't know."

"I can't tell Gar that I..." she shook her head gagging slightly at her own words. "...I can't even bring myself to admit it out loud."

"What are you going to do?"

She looked to me now and inhaled deeply. She returned to her seat and lifted a book from the table. With a shrug she said, "Nothing."

There was a brief silence. Rachel's composure had cooled and she had receded into the world of fantasy in her newest novel. I remained quiet, instantly aware that she had only confided in me to have someone she trusted enough not to judge or leek the knowledge. She just wanted someone to know her more frustrating thoughts, as if now we were both burdened with the truth of her thoughts and not just her alone. I knew she would open up to me more about Gar and what exactly happened between the two for her to be in this mood, but... for now... I was too exhausted to worry about it.

I fell asleep quickly while Rachel remained on the opposite side of the living room, her book promoting silence.

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(A/N) This chapter was much longer then the others but I really enjoyed it. Im excited for next chapter where I finally incorporate Rachel's POV. I had a lot of fun with it so I'll be sure to update soon. =]


	5. Scars Of The Broken

Chapter Five : **Scars of the Broken**

**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

Depressed... moody... pessimistic... weird... emotionally numb... outcast... however you view me I could care less. The truth is, I can't deny having been submerged in most of these stereotypes more then once in my life. I suppose you could say I had reason, but... that doesn't exactly make a difference to the world now does it? I learned long ago the likes of humanity spared no comfort for the outsiders. Which... I actually prefer. I'd rather not deal with the drama of actually being liked by the preppier side of our society, the thought alone makes me cringe. When I was younger, the whole lure of acceptance weighed heavy on my shoulders and I struggled against myself to figure out why I just wasn't like the others... and then one day, a few minor details changed in my life and... I just didn't care anymore. Dramatic... right? That might be your assumption, and go ahead, who am I to sway your opinion of me. The point being ... somewhere along the line, I was given the choice... become an emotional wreck, needy for attention, or... suck it up and just realize this shits never gonna get any easier.

Obviously I chose to just deal, because that's basically what life is... its just a long, drawn out period of time where we have to adapt to the situations and surroundings we found ourselves in. And, yea... I suppose some would think it would have been easier to fall in line with the rest, living a life of superficial proportions, constantly trying to outdo the plastic smile beside you who you call your friend, but... I could never do that, believe me I tried... I really did. I was young then, but even at my age I knew this was never gonna work... not for me. I couldn't stomach the approach most people my age took on life. Now, you have to realize the city, or I guess the area in this city, I lived in was a collection of wealthy families, which I found rather disturbing. I mean, these people rallied together as if they were superior to the rest of the world, but to say they were all superficial would be a lie, just the majority were.

I remember when I was younger and this whole realization of the shallow lives that coexisted beside me was considered normal... I knew I was in a world where I would never truly belong. That's not to say that I wanted to, I mean, I had a small group of friends and I was content with that. I just could never bring myself to force emotion in certain situations where it really wasn't necessary, and because of it most people viewed me as strange. But I found myself thinking... what's so wrong about strange? It takes the strange to differentiate the normal right? Either way, no matter how they view me it doesn't change the fact that somewhere inside them... whether they knew it or not... they were just like me, I just didn't tolerate the bullshit. I could clearly see the similarities between me and the ones who laughed, made jokes, and feared me. In the end we are all the same, I just got shit for not showing decorum like the rest of them. If something pissed me off, guess what... I was pissed off. I didn't fake a smile to ensure my composure was picture perfect in the public eye, and I really didn't care what people thought about me or my behavior. If anything, ... if I could make you cringe, or even feel uncomfortable... you might have just gotten a smile from me, because now I had just brought you into my world.

In my opinion, everyone took everything far too seriously. They worried too much about everything, and built these imaginary walls around them meant to resemble perfection but... at the end of the day, acceptance is something that's never really achievable. I found it was more of a momentary distraction before the reality of how disturbed life and the ones who live alongside you are. Because essentially the dream each person truly had was to look out for number one... themselves. Again... I'm not saying this is my theory of everyone as a whole... just the people I had grown up alongside. Which, I might draw attention to the fact that these people, the ones who had long since labeled _me_ a freak, were in my opinion far more lost then they ever believed me to be.

This fact alone is why I found it so easy to find humor in their perceptions of me, which they openly displayed in a hurricane of judgement. To them I was dark, rude, pathetic, when in reality they were merely inflicting their own insecurities upon me because I looked the part. At the end of the day, we all have the same feelings overcome us in certain situations now and again... I just didn't force a smile to avoid confrontation or judgement. I couldn't be that girl who had gone through something traumatic and did nothing more then weep their way to attention and sympathy from others. No, when I experience something hard in my life, I turn to my own theory of acceptance. Because acceptance in this sense was different, I wasn't looking to win anyone over... I think I've already made that clear. My theory was,... in a world where you cannot change the past, present, or future, or alter the perception someone had of you once they had already labeled you, the only thing you did have control over is yourself. And while sometimes I had difficult controlling myself and my emotions, ... I was me, the real me, all the time. I was unashamed, unapologetic, and most importantly, I only lived up to the expectations I had for myself, not what the world consistently tried to thrust upon me.

Now, for those of you who believe outsiders are lost and alone, let me just enlighten you. Yea, we're different, and in a lot of cases we are alone, but that in no way means we need your sympathy. For me, being an outsider isn't a disease,which you would think it was by the way people looked at me, but more a lifestyle choice. I didn't cut myself or thrive off pain like most stereotypes might suggest, no,... I was reserved, quiet, careless. The main emphasis in which people didn't understand was... I wasn't dressed in dark colors and a rigid demeanor because I was looking for attention. Certain situations arise in people's life which later determine their interests, goals, perception,... everything, and my life had merely brought me down a separate path then the overly charismatic piers of mine. They had rich daddies and mommies stuffing money down their throat to keep them at bay while the parents continued their in-achievable goal at flourishing in the business of making money and moving up in the world. As a result they truly believed they were happy, money being the reason for their momentary happiness. Which was fine, I don't care, and I would certainly not bring attention to the differences in our lives if not to draw attention to the reason why I was so different.

In the end my timeline in life was a little darker then theirs, and its not that I held anything against them for it, I just remained closer along the border to reality because of it. Now, what most of my piers struggled to understand was the group of friends I had, and how exactly we came to be, and to be honest I'm not even sure my friends noticed why we were so drawn to one another's company. The truth was, we are all apart of the media. Me? Apart of the media you ask? Yea well, lets just say I had a few demons in my past which weren't exactly kept secret, and in the end neither did any my friends. We all had dark pasts, pasts in which the media refused to neglect even in the slightest, things no one else could understand, not even each other in some instances.

My group consisted of Kori Anders, Garfield Logan, Dick Grayson, and Victor Stone. We had all had our share of media attention, some more then others, and others more disturbing. The reason people couldn't grasp why we were all friends was because we were all so different. We had been through some of the same tragic things and yet we were only human, we had all adapted in different ways.

Kori, she had lost her father to an accident when she was young, Dick was the same, except he had lost both of his parents. I don't know too much of the details but it had taken a toll on them just like it would anyone else. The two of them had latched onto each other in a friendship type lifeline. They were surviving merely through the existence and strength of each other, and I admired them for it. Kori had dealt with her pain by remaining her young innocent self, as if when she lost her father, her ability to see the worst in things disintegrated. She was a teenage girl who had felt loss and truly believed that nothing could be as worse as the pain she felt in losing her father, she saw the beauty in everything and believed things could only get better. Dick, on the other hand, he had Kori to help him see the beauty in things, something he struggled with. He became this playboy to our city, and it was my opinion that he feared happiness merely because he was afraid he would only lose it. He never kept a girlfriend for too long, especially when clingy behavior was initiated. It seemed, while he was friends with all of us, the only consistent amount of happiness he had was with Kori... and even that was faltered now and then. In times of pain he would hurt Kori, not physically but mentally. He would have episodes of anger when things were going good for him and he'd push all those around him away, Kori feeling the worst of it, but then he would always return to us. It was as if he was conflicted with any amount of happiness he felt.. as though it frightened him to believe his own emotions, or that he even deserved happiness.

Now Gar, he had lost his parents too. It was a boating accident that had occurred one summer while the entire family was vacationing on their yacht. Of course, the media surrounded the family, his parents having been famous scientists. You see, it wasn't just the loss of his parents that Gar had on his shoulders, he had also been through something equally as traumatic. When he was young, I'm not sure how old, he never exactly told me, but he had been diagnosed with cancer. His parents couldn't bare to see the pain he was in so they quit their jobs and worked day and night at home to try and find a cure for him. It was not even a month before his parents died when they had actually succeed. I'm not sure what type of cancer it was, or how they managed to figure out the cure, but it followed them to their graves, granting them infamy from the media. They had done the experiment, which of course cured Gar, but they had done it without proper clearance. Whether Gar was their son or not, their actions would have been dealt with by the law with much conflicting theories merely based on the fact that the serum they used had gone on untested. Either way, Gar survived, and his parents, along with their miraculous work, were gone. Gar to this day swears it was his fault they had died and that he shouldn't have done something, but again... the past cannot be altered. As a result, Gar had become this goofy guy, who found comical relief in everything. I could tell it was all a disguise to hide his pain, but who was I to judge, we all wore our masks one time or another.

Now, lastly, is Victor, and his and Gar's story are somewhat similar. For instance, they had become friends as a result of their parents, both sets being scientists, and at one time worked together. And just like the rest of us, Vic had lost his mother. I think Vic had it a lot worse then he made it seem, because he had been in the car with his mother when it crashed. She was dead, and he had almost lost a leg, the insertion of metal joints being the only solution.

In the end, the point I'm trying to make is that we were all friends because we were all outsiders, each in our own way. We were broken, merely walking dead souls who had seen pain, felt it, and still did. Whether in the form of a smiling, giggling attitude or mine, which was more reserved, we were all shaken by loss, the fear of these memories weighing heavy on each of our choices. Even as I looked to Kori, who remained asleep on the couch before me I smiled inside. She had always told me that the reason others viewed me as nothing more then a target for criticism was because a part of them admired my ability to honestly not care about the opinions others had of me, and hated how easy it was for me to be comfortable with myself. Which was only, yet another reason, why Kori and I meshed so well. She and I were the same person in a lot of ways, like light shinning into a prism. I was the solid, boring color that entered and she was the rainbow found on the other side, and yet we were still a pieces of the same light. She was nothing short of original to herself. She didn't really care what people thought about her, nor that they viewed her as fake, because she knew she wasn't. She loved everything and everyone merely because she loved the essence of life and beauty and possibilities.

Kori, as I said, was asleep on the couch still, it had been a few hours, but I didn't mind the silence. Of course, it didn't last long. I knew by the fact that Kori had turned her cell phone off that it meant Dick was being clingy again, and inevitably he would show up at the doorstep. To be honest I was surprised it had taken him this long, but sure enough... my silence was shattered by a knock upon the door.

My eyes moved slowly to Kori, she remained unflinching at the sound. I closed my book with a sigh and slowly made my way to the door. I paused, my hand on the door knob as I heard more then one voice muffled behind the door. I inhaled deeply, then slowly opened the door. "What?"

Dick stood beside Vic and Gar, all fell silent as they looked to me.

"Can I help you with something?" I asked carelessly.

"Is Kori there?" Dick asked, his smile unwavering to me.

"No."

I went to close the door on them, but Dick had braced an arm against the door, shoving it open again. "I know she's here."

He walked passed me, all three boys did, as if my standoffish behavior wasn't enough of a warning to leave. I turned to Dick as he continued to speak, my arms crossed.

"I should of known she;'d be lounging." He said looking to a sleeping Kori.

"Which is why you should go."

Dick turned to me with a raised brow. He knew his charm didn't work on me, I knew him too well. "We'll just wait here til she wakes up."

"If she wanted you here she would have invited you."

Dick laughed, entering the kitchen now. "I'm starting to think you don't like me that much Rae."

I rolled my eyes. "Would it be so hard to believe one person on this planet doesn't hold you in a grand light?"

He chuckled again, the thought sounding merely ridiculous to him. "And here I thought we were friends."

I sighed. "We are Dick. I just... I'm in a mood."

"Is there ever a time when your not?" I heard Gar whisper to to Vic.

My eyes glanced over to Gar, he stood with his normal enthusiastic gleam. My brow quivered slightly, as I struggled to hold back my irritation for him. "Scratch that, Dick I don't mind if you stay but these other two have got to go."

"Come on," Vic whined. "... and what did I do to you?"

"You brought the grass stain along."

Vic laughed, Gar whined, I smiled, and Dick disappeared into the living room again. We all joined now, and I could see Dick sit beside Kori, his hand upon her arm as he tried to wake her. Vic and Gar vanished into their world of video games as I sat across from them, my book at hand now. I sighed, looking to Dick and Kori. They were so obvious sometimes. Dick adored Kori and she worshiped him so why they pretended as though they were just friends is beyond me. They were definitely far closer then any friend I ever had,... but then again that's just me.

I looked to Kori whose eyes had flickered open at the touch of Dicks hand upon her. She looked to me with a yawn and sat upright.

"Morning sunshine." I said carelessly.

She smiled that vibrant smile of hers, the one that made me want to vomit sometimes because she was so happy. Its not that I envied her, just that while she and I had a lot in common, she was equally so... different from me.

"How long has everyone been here?" She asked me.

I shrugged. "Your fan club arrived just minutes ago."

She laughed. "They're your friends too Rachel."

"Yes but I doubt they were here for me."

"Because your always in such a pleasant mood." Gar said, taking a moment from his video games to annoy me.

I ignored his comment and looked to Dick. "So... why are you here?"

I paused as Kori looked to Dick with an odd glance. I knew from the expression on her face she was deciphering what Dick was about to say, and I was right, she ended up answering my question for him.

"You ended things with Becca?"

He nodded. "Yep."

"I'm sorry." Kori said, her hand upon his now.

Everyone in the room, even Kori, knew Dick didn't actually take his break ups personal. After all he was the one who always ended things, and yet Kori always offered her condolences ... as if Dick was innocent in the matter.

"Its alright..." he said with a shrug.

"There will be others." I said lowering the book to my lap now and looking to Vic and Gar. "Thirty bucks gentleman."

Their eyes widened, and pausing their video game they looked to me.

"For what?"

"What did we miss?" Vic asked. His eyes were wide in disbelief.

I smiled. "Four days... I called it."

Gar looked to Dick now. "Come on man, I had a week."

"I had two more days!" Vic growled as he dug fifteen bucks from his pocket and unwillingly handed it to me.

I smiled then turned to Gar. He had a pout upon his face that I almost felt the need to smile about. When his mouth wasn't moving he was actually ... never mind.

The mood in the room as Kori awoke was a calmer one now. The video games remained in a halt and conversation began among all of us.

"So... I heard Bruce is outta town." Vic said, his tone underlined with suggestive mischief.

Dick rolled his eyes. "I don't know..."

"Alfred's out of town too." Kori added.

"Nice!" Gar squealed. "Dick, this is gonna be one hell of a party."

Dick sighed very well aware of Gar's plans. "What party?"

"The one that your throwing, ... tonight!" Gar stood, his hands out at his sides as he represented the idea with far too much enthusiasm.

The room looked to me as I spoke now. "It actually doesn't sound like a bad idea."

I ignored the suggestive look Kori gave me as her eyes glanced back and forth between Gar and I and focused on Dick. He ran a hand through his over gelled spiked hair. "Alright... yea..." he looked to Kori. "... sound good to you?"

Before Kori could respond Vic was on his phone alerting the entire school about the party. I focused on Kori now, she seemed kind of hesitant. "A party doesn't sound good to you?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, I'm still kind of tired."

I smiled. "But maybe the guy your crushing on will show." I paused as her eyes went wide, her cheeks flushed slightly. The memory of her telling me Dick was to remain in the dark about this flooded to my thoughts. "Damn... sorry Kor. I forgot."

She blushed, ignoring the jealous look Dick had on her. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and giggled slightly. "No... that was... it was a long time ago."  
My brow raised at her, but I made no comment. It was obvious she wanted to end the subject and I was more then happy not to bother with it any longer. I stood. "Well, I guess I should get ready." I pulled my hooded sweater over my head and returned to my seat. "There."

Kori was giggling at me as she stood, nervously avoiding Dicks gaze. "I should probably get ready too."

As she disappeared up the stairs, Dicks glare fell to me. I sighed, his jealousy was not my concern nor was it even his if we wasn't going to do anything about it. I nodded in his general direction then lifted my book again.

"So... what did Kori say exactly?" He asked, trying to be as non conspicuous as possible.

I looked to him, his eager blue eyes screaming in anticipation fro my response. It wasn't my place to divulge any of the secrets Kori had told me, no matter how close she and Dick were. With a careless shrug I said, "In reference to what?"

"I mean, ..." he hesitated, and I noticed him pass a nervous glance to Vic and Gar who had returned their attention to the video game they were playing. He then looked to me again, lowering his voice to a mere whisper. "...who is this guy? ... the one she told you about?"

I kept my gaze on my book as I responded. It was a conversation I was hoping would be brief. "She didn't say."

"DO you have any ideas who it might be?"

"No."

I could hear the frustration in his voice as I continued to give him brief responses. I would think he would have been used to me by now but apparently not.

"What about..."

"I don't know, Dick. Why don't you ask her yourself?"

He was quiet now, as if by even suggesting that he ask Kori himself was a frightening thought. His attention turned to the video games on the screen. "I play winner."

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(A/N) So, this is the Rachel POV I was excited about, and hopeful it holds up to any expectation you had for her. This chapter was a lot of fun for me to write so while its a little different from the other chapters, hopefully this is a fresh, crisp perspective of the story. Thanks for reading, and please remember to R/R =]


	6. Party Poison

Chapter Six: **Party Poison**

**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

We sat around the television for a long while, brief conversation striking now and again. I looked to the clock, ... an hour,... really? It amazed me how long it took Kori to get ready, it was always an absurd amount of time. I admit time had gone quicker this time around, but only because I wasn't waiting for Kori on my own.

Rachel, while sitting across from me in the small, tan love seat, had otherwise ignored me beyond our previous conversation. I knew Kori had probably told her more information about this certain crush she had, but Rachel refused to tell me anything. If Kori being secretive wasn't enough to piss me off, Rachel aiding her in keeping me out of the loop made it worse. I looked to her, her gloomy demeanor hugged around her book. We all knew she had a past... a dark one at that, and yet she never spoke of it... at least not to me. We were good friends but she was always guarded. Even now as she sat across from me in her dark blue hooded sweater and black jeans, her violet eyes snapped to mine in a defensive manner.

"What are you looking at?" She asked me, her tone submerged in warning. She was like that though, not angry just impatient with most things in which she considered to be pointless.

I shrugged. "Good book?"

"Do you care?" She asked brushing her shoulder length hair behind one ear revealing more of her pale skinned features.

I chuckled slightly. "I asked didn't I?"

Her brow raised now, her eyes holding firm in a displeased gaze. "Yes Dick... it's a great book. One in which I would like finish without you interrupting me again." I nodded, than paused noticing her gaze soften slightly, her eyes focused behind me. "Finally."

I turned, my eyes immediately going wide. I could feel my breath become strained now as I stared back at Kori. She stood in the hallway, that innocent smile focused down upon me. My eyes wandered over her, ... she was breathtaking. Her vibrant scarlet hair spiraled down her figure in a bouncing curl. She wore a small black skirt and a purple tank stopping just above her navel ... leaving a small amount of her tanned flesh in my view. I felt myself swallow hard as my eyes met hers. She had this spark in her eyes that always captivated me... and right now I struggled to draw myself away from her light.  
"Do I look... alright?" She asked, the purity in her voice resonated in my mind.

I looked to her cheeks as they flushed slightly in embarrassment as I hesitated in my response. Clearing my throat I stood, running a hand through my hair in thought as I strived for the proper response. I smiled as she tilted her head slightly looking to me for confirmation on her appearance. "You look... you look great." I cleared my throat again immediately turning to the guys who were still glued to the tv screen. "I, uh... we should go."

The drive to the Manor felt longer then it should have, for me. When we first approached Rachel's black Mercedes Kori had situated herself beside Rachel in the passenger seat, us guys left with the backseat. I sat behind Rachel, Gar stuck in the middle, and Vic behind Kori. I could hear conversation taking place the entire ride but I didn't grasp any of it, my mind was fixated on Kori.

I could tell by the narrowed violet eyes that caught my attention from the rear view mirror now and then, that Kori was somewhat annoying Rachel by the constant changing of the radio station, but she never spoke out about it. I found myself grin as Kori began singing along with the current song, her body dancing beside a still Rachel.

When Rachel finally pulled in passed the Manor gates we all filed out of the car quickly. I looked to the long row of cars that had been parked along the property as they began to enter behind us, ... you would never have guessed this party had been a last-minute decision.

"Sweet." Gar cheered, his eyes wandering over the random school peers that made their way around us. He looked to me with a grin. "I told you this was gonna be good." He turned to Vic. "Did you find Karen yet? Maybe she's got a friend for me?"

Vic laugh. "Dream on little man, Karen's not gonna set one her friends up with someone with green hair."

I laughed as Gar lowered his head in a growl of frustration. My mind quickly returning to Kori. She walked at a short distance from me toward the Manor, beside Rachel. I quickened my pace slightly, but before I could reach her Tiffany... another random from school, stepped in front of me.

"Hey," I said dismissively as her brown eyes smiled seductively before me. I tried to step passed her, but soon found her frail arm upon mine, bringing me to a halt again.

"Hey, Dick..." she said, her smiled outlined in red lipstick. "I was hoping I'd find you before the party started."

I nodded. "Yea well... here I am." I could hear her talking, hand twirled within her golden locks of hair as my gaze searched for Kori. I released a heavy sigh as Kori's figure disappeared into the Manor in the distance. I looked to Tiffany now with mere frustration. "Look,... can we do this later?"

I held back rolling my eyes as her smile receded into a whimper now, the tone of her voice contorting to a childlike whine. "I suppose." She paused briefly, then lifting a hand to my chest she stepped into me with a smile once again. "You promise you'll come find me?"

I smiled, the idea not sounding too awful. "Sure."

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**(Kori Anders' POV)**

Yes... this is exactly what I needed... a distraction. I stood beside Rachel currently, we were in the largest room of the Manor at yet another one of Dick's parties, this being the first to kick off the school year. It was Saturday night, and a beautiful night at that... perfect for diverting my thoughts from Dick, who would surely be too bothered by women to actually be seen. It was good though, I didn't mind Dick having girlfriends ... it only meant that I would have see less of him, which was perfect for me at the moment.

I glanced around the room in a cheerful mood. There were plenty of people who had arrived for the party, most of which I wasn't even properly acquainted with but had merely noticed in school, but it didn't matter I was excited nonetheless. I looked to Rachel who leaned back against the wall beside us in a mood.

"What's wrong?"

Her gaze hardened on the crowd before is. "This party is pointless."

"Weren't you the one who told me it sounded fun?"

She looked to me now adjusting her posture. "I'm gonna grab a drink... maybe then this will seem a whole less worse."

I laughed as she slowly made her way through the crowd, my eyes coming to a halt as Dick stepped toward me. I instantly lowered my gaze, trying to seem busy... with what I don't know, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

"Hey..." I heard his voice sound from within the rambunctious crowd.

I looked to him with a smile. "Hey Dick."

I watched as he turned his body slightly motioning to the crowd with a short laugh. "I've been looking for you everywhere."

I nodded as his smile turned to me. He looked nothing short of perfection standing before me. He wore dark jeans and a simple white shirt but in my mind all I saw was his heart-stopping baby blues shine back at me. I was angry now... I had intentions of keeping my distant from him so why he chose to seek me out was met with frustration.

"Here I am." I forced a smile.

I saw his eyes linger on me for a moment then he said, "I just wanted to make sure you and I were... alright. I mean, the last time I really had a chance to talk to you was..."

"I'm fine... we're fine. Just... enjoy the party Dick."

"Kori... right?" A voice said stepping to us.

I turned to find a tall auburn haired, blue-eyed unfamiliar face. I hesitated my eyes glancing back to a narrow eyed Richard, then said, "Yes... I'm Kori."

"Roy... Roy Harper." He said, extending a hand to me. He paused noticing Dick's glare. "You must be the one and only Dick Grayson?"

I looked to Dick who had kept his hesitance for this Roy character firm. He nodded. "Yea..." He paused then looked to me again. "So I was hoping that before the nights through you and I could take a minute to talk."

I nodded, my eyes still upon Roy. He seemed charming, a fresh face in which I had never seen in school before. "Yea... alright." I replied to Dick then directed my entire attention to Roy with a smile. "So, you must be the new guy." He nodded. "Well being at Dick Grayson's party means you managed to make friends with the right people quick enough."

I paused noticing Dick had eventually left, then looked to Roy again. He was explaining his move into town and his adjustment in school. While I was listening I also took this time to absorb his obvious clean-cut allure... oddly enough he seemed to remind me of someone very close to me. He wore a white shirt beneath a black leather jacket and a simple pair of jeans, but it was his eyes that appealed to me. They didn't have the same warmth as Dick's, but they gazed back at me with the same blue hue.

I smiled as he scratched at his head. "I can't even really remember who told me about this party... but here I am." I swallowed hard as his eyes stared into mine with a sweet smile upon his features. "...and here you are."

"How is it you know who I am anyway?" I asked, finding myself unable to hold a normal conversation after being overwhelmed by Dick's mere presence.

I was taken back by his laughter, but immediately felt a fool as he responded. "You mean other than if I had not recognized your face among the magazines and newspapers?"

I lifted a hand to my forehead shaking my head out of embarrassment. Of course, how could I forget... I was somehow a celebrity in this town. I rolled my eyes. "Right... well..." I paused looking up at him now in obvious awkwardness, the music and excitement within the room narrowing in one me now. My awkwardness soon faded as I felt his hand on mine.

"Lets just get you a drink." He said leading me through the crowd. "You seem a little tense."

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It had been over two hours now, the party was still in full swing. Drunk teens scattered every corner of the room, beer pong commenced in a wave of cheers, and I... I was having the best night in a long while. I had seen glimpses of my friends but the majority of my time was spent alongside a charming Roy Harper.

I saw Rachel only minutes ago, she had poked her head into my conversation to let me know she was heading home, and at the mention of Gar joining her for a ride home I flaunted a scandalous smile at her in which she shot down with a glare. I had also seen Vic, we had even danced briefly, but his thoughts were focused on a very beautiful Karen this evening. Aside from seeing Dick earlier I had seemed to have lost track of him... which was a good thing... I kept telling myself.

I looked to Roy now, he was leaning back against a large table, trying to get a word in with his conversation with the randomly approaching Kitten. I saw his glance focus on mine wide-eyed in a sort of 'help me' warning. I giggled to myself then stepped passed Kitten and took his hand.

"Excuse us," I said to Kitten, who in turn scowled at me. I didn't take offense though... this was Kitten after all.

I felt a smile creep upon my face as I led Roy through the Manor, his hand tightening on mine. We walked for a long while then stepped outside.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

I motioned to the large building in the distance. "Do you ride?"

He nodded. "Your telling me Dick has his own track?" He asked as we entered. I had released his hand and looked to him walking backward toward the where the bikes were stationed. The amazement on his face made me giggle. He looked as though he had never seen anything so extraordinary... which I agree it is an amazing sight in itself.

I tossed him a helmet. "Heads up."

He caught it and looked to me. "You mean we can...?"

I nodded. "That is... if you think you can keep up."

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My bike swerved passed the finish line, Roy's coming to a halt beside mine only seconds behind. As the dirt around us settled I turned to him removing my helmet leaning it against me waist with a laugh.

"I was close." He smiled, removing his helmet, as well, with a sigh. "...so... close."

I lifted a hand to my forehead, wiping away a trail of sweat. We had been at the track for a good twenty minutes and somewhere along the line I had forgotten about all the stress I was in. I smiled back at Roy, ... him being the reason for this relief. I can't really explain it... he just... he made me smile... even as I felt the effects of the small amount of alcohol in which I had consumed spiraling within me.

In the time I had spent with Roy I had come to the realization that he was far different then I would have ever expected. He seemed more like the silent, withdrawn type and yet he wasn't... in fact he had me laughing most of the night. True, I hadn't known him that long but I felt comfortable with him,... happy even.

He looked back at me with his charming smile, unaffected by his defeat. "Again?"

I shook my head, then checking the time on my phone I said, "I think I've had enough for now. The alcohol is making my head spin."

He quietly agreed and as we walked our bikes back our conversation continued.

"So..." he paused as I looked to him, noticing an awkward expression upon his face. "... you and Grayson..."

My eyes narrowed, wishing he hadn't just brought him up. "What about him?"

I laughed as he remained in a hesitant silence. Clearing his throat he said, "Well... what's the deal with you two?"

I shrugged, placing my bike among the others. "Nothing..." he looked to me with a raised brow to which I rolled my eyes in response. "... and everything." I sighed, brushing my hair behind my ear. "We've been friends for a long time." He nodded, the awkward expression lingering on his face. "Why?"

He looked to me now with a shrug. I felt my heartbeat quicken slightly as he stepped closer to me, his eyes focusing on a strand of my hair as he brushed it out of my face. "I don't know,... he seems... really close with you."

I nodded. "He is... I mean, we are." I hesitated. "Look, if he's given you the wrong impression don't trouble yourself,... Dick's a sweet guy, he's just protective of his friends is all." I paused, my phone vibrating in my pocket. Looking down to it I sighed... it was Dick. Silencing my phone now I returned it to my pocket and looked to Roy again realizing for the first time how close he actually was to me. My mind focused now on nothing more than his eyes on mine.

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**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

"Stay focused..."

I looked to Tiffany with narrowed eyes. I had been trying to get a hold of Kori for the past half hour and she continued to ignore me. I knew she was here, she didn't have a ride home. I cursed beneath my breath stepping back from Tiffany who kept clawing at me in her drunken haze. I lifted my phone to my ear again knowing perfectly well she was still with Roy, it had become apparent to me a while ago once I realized neither of them remained in sight within the party.

My frustration set in further as the dial tone kept ringing without a reply. I growled slightly, placing my phone in my pocket again and turning back to Tiffany. I rolled my eyes,... she was a pretty girl and yet right now... in the state she was in... no one would be proud to be beside her. She was slurring her words, a few strands of hair blonde trapped between her chapped lips as she continued to persuade me to take her up to my room. Perhaps on any other occasion when I wasn't solely focused on Kori I would have... then again maybe not, she wasn't exactly tempting to me at the moment.

It was at this time when I noticed the lights to the track were on. My eyes narrowed... who would have gone there? ... of all nights... a party in progress? I turned to Tiffany telling her to wait for me to return but she followed against my own wishes. We walked toward the track, Tiffany leaning on me and stumbling all over the place.

When we entered I immediately fell silent waving a hand dismissively at Tiffany, beckoning for her silence as well. There were two voices echoing off the track walls... one I was very familiar with, the other... I was discovering belonged to a person I was dying to get within inches of for a 'pleasant conversation'.

I stepped passed the small corner to my right and saw her... Kori,... standing within inches of Roy. I strained my ears to focus on the echoing long enough to hear what they were saying. Kori's sweet voice rang first...

"It's awkward and... strange... I don't really understand nor can I explain it." She giggled.

"It's got to be weird... living life in the eyes of the media. I mean... there must not be much privacy." Roy said.

My eyes narrowed as Kori smiled up at him now. "It's alright... it's not like I can change who I am... or who my mother is for that matter. I will admit,... sometimes I wish I had a different life, one where I'm not faking smiles for the public."

"Well..." Roy said, lifting a hand to Kori's cheek. "... if it's any consolation... you make it look easy. You always seem so happy and full of life."

That was it, I had heard enough. I had decided the moment Roy's eyes laid on Kori's that I didn't like him and right now was as good as any to let him know that. I stepped toward them raising my voice. "Kori!"

She looked to me wide-eyed and suddenly nervous as she took a step back from Roy. "Richard... I-I didn't notice you were here."

I didn't acknowledge her, to be honest I was seeing red, and my anger... it was all for Roy. I stopped before him, eyes wide. "You should leave." He looked to Kori for help but even as she tried to speak I placed a hand in front of her making her fall silent. "Just go."

My anger was fuming as he looked to Kori with a shrug and a brief, 'I'll see you later.' I waited for the sound of the door closing behind him then my glare moved to Kori. She stood before me, a confused look upon her face as she hugged herself in embarrassment. "What do you think you were doing?"

"I... I don't know... nothing. I didn't think you'd mind if we took a few laps around the track."

"Forget about the track!" I yelled. "You really think I give a shit what you were doing at the track? ... I mean with him. What were you doing? What were you thinking?"

Her eyes narrowed now, and while I could tell she was becoming angry herself it didn't faze me ... I was far too over the edge now to be brought back. "What are you talking about? I was... hanging out, making conversation."

"Making conversation?" I laughed sarcastically. I shook my head pacing slightly in front of her. "What's gotten into you Kori? You don't do things like this. You've been acting strange... distant lately little did I know it was because you were far too busy trying to whore yourself out with that..."

"Richard!" She shouted. I had never heard her so angry, but again it only fueled my rage for her. I remained silent as her eyes watered before me. She shook her head, her voice cracking as she spoke. "I... how... how could you say that?" She took a step toward me, but I stepped back glaring at her in warning. "Dick I... don't talk to me like that. Don't you ever call me that... ever."

"I'll call you whatever I see fit and right now,... after that display of behavior... taking him away from the party to be alone... giggling..." I shook my head again. "I mean... how could you be so obvious? You don't know this guy... you don't know what he's after. Or maybe you do and..."

"Stop!" She cried. Her eyes looked up at the ceiling for a moment as she held back her tears. "Of all people... of all people Richard, _you_ are telling _me_ I'm being too forward?" She shook her head the tears pouring from her eyes now. "I was having a good time tonight. I... I was happy, enjoying myself. I wasn't throwing myself at Roy we were just..." she paused. "You're my best friend I shouldn't have to explain anything to you."

"I don't care Kori... after what I just _saw_... you're not even the Kori I know." As I said this her entire body jumped slightly, not because I had yelled but rather that I had finally said the one thing to truly hurt her. The sad part... I was content with this... happy even that I could make her cry. It sounds horrible but it's actually how I felt at this time. Even as she cursed under her breath at me and left in tears I felt better with the situation.

It took a few moments of silence before I turned to make my way back to the party. Pausing before the door of the track I remained in thought. My mind played over everything I had done and said to Kori, and while I had no regrets... I had brought her to tears. I could feel a lump in my chest as I thought of what she was doing now and where she was. I knew she would be alone but she would be weeping still and it was because of me. I growled slightly, striking my fist against the wall to release my anger. The worse part ... I knew this wasn't over... I still had to deal with Roy.


	7. Disenchanted

Chapter Seven :** Disenchanted**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

**Pain**... it was all that consumed me. To envision a world where Dick and I were at odds... it was unspeakable. And it wasn't merely out of a habit dulled by time... I truly needed Dick at my side... and with the words he spoke and the glares he threw at me... I was inconsolable. I'm sure I know what your thinking... I'm being far too dramatic and that this was just a small argument... but then I'd have to contradict you because this was far more then that. Dick had been angry with me before, and I with him... but not like this... not ever like this.

I had never seen him look to me with such cold ... estranged eyes. He was stiff, merciless... his callous demeanor remained unflinching before me even as I had begun to sob. I felt like Emily Bronte's Catherine and yet I had no Heathcliff to complete me. Regret filled my thoughts as I recalled my entire selfish plan to remain distant as a result of my affections for him... all of it... every thought, every emotion... met regret with an iron fist.

I raced through the party, tears streaming down my face in a relentless chorus of whimpers and sniffles. I noticed several people look to me in worry but all that mattered to me was that I hadn't seen Roy ... I was in no condition to be seen by him. I could feel my makeup smear down my face as I lifted a hand to my drenched eyes, trying to wipe away the words and pain Richard had caused me. His cold, piercing blue eyes burned into the back of my mind. I could barely breathe through my weeping as I took the keys to Dick's Audi and sped home.

You know that moment when you feel as though everything in your life is coming crashing down all around you... and you think it can't get any worse? ... I thought I was there, how could I not be? My best friend whom I had feelings for had just ripped my heart out ... but as fate would have it... my luck was burrowing further into darkness. I reached my house to find a row of cop cars stationed right out front, their blinding lights bringing life to the entire street. My eyes went wide... my mother being the first thing to cross my mind.

I looked to the mirror before exciting the car to ensure I didn't look like too much of a mess... the thought of being caught under the influence of alcohol stung at my senses.

"Excuse me..." I muttered to one of the cops who remained by his car...my voice not sounding nearly as well together as I had hoped. As my eyes glanced around the current scene before my house I noticed several heads poking out of their houses gaping in curiosity.

He turned to me with narrowed eyes. "Miss Anders..." he removed his aviator sunglasses... why he was wearing them at night, or why I even noticed... I don't know. He stared down at me with a sigh, and lingered in his observation of my present state. I became nervous as he continued to stare down at me without continuing. I immediately became nervous around him, my thought was that he could smell the alcohol off my breath and I was going to be guaranteed a cozy seat in the back of his vehicle.

I inhaled deeply, drawing my gaze to my house. "Is... is there a problem?" My nerves got the best of me again and I continued... in more of a ramble. I lifted a hand to my forehead, feeling rather overwhelmed. "Is it... is it my mother? Is she alright? Did something happen?"

Relief washed over me as the officer shook his head, wide-eyed at me now. "No... no sorry I didn't mean to rise worry in you." He paused looking to the front door as it opened now, two officers and my sister, in their grasp, exiting. "Apparently your sister is involved in a few..."

"You better get me out of this sister dear." She yelled back at me.

My eyes narrowed on hers. She looked horrible and my heart went out to her in sympathy. I knew I had to get her out of this... no matter what it took... no matter what personal issues I was dealing with. I immediately went into panic. "Look... what ever she's done... what ever it is... I- I can pay, just... you have to let her go. You can't just take her."

The officer shook his head. "Sorry ma'am, I can't. You're sister is responsible for shoplifting and possession of narcotics. If you want her out you can post her bail but this isn't going to go away so easily. We need to keep her overnight as a result of her... present state."

I looked to Komi who now sat in the back of one of the cop cars. I could see her in a heated argument with the officer beside her. Her hands were banging back and forth off the car window, her black hair matted and her muffled voice slurring. I sighed looking back to the officer and lifting a hand to shield my eyes from the blinding cop lights that continued to swirl around me. "I understand. What... what I do for now? Whats my next step?"

The officer inhaled deeply. "Look, Kori..." I was surprised as he became more relaxed and comforting around me. "... I know this is probably a shock to you, the truth being your sister isn't like you. Your one of this city's model citizens but while you shouldn't have to deal with this type of situation... you just have to be patient."

I nodded, relieved when he quickly joined the other officers. I stood motionless as the cars slowly pulled away, my poor sister in their keep. I inhaled deeply then jumped slightly as I turned to find Rachel step from her home behind me.

"What happened?" Her eyes narrowed. "Better yet... what happened to you?"

I shook my head, merely seeing Rachel... it could have been any of my friends really... I felt the stress rush back to me. I felt my lower lip quiver as tears began to brim at my eyelids again. Without a reply I shook my head and raced into my house locking the door behind me. I knew Rachel would give me the space I clearly needed, but it didn't alleviate any of the pain I was in even slightly.

I dropped my purse, phone, keys...everything, and lifted my hands over my eyes leaning back into the door and lowering myself to the floor as I wept. My chest felt like it might implode, the agonizing pain I felt in my chest had returned. My crying continued relentlessly, my chest heaving, the argument with Dick playing over in my head. How could he have said the things he did? ... how could he look at me so emotionless as I wept before him?... how would I get Komi out of this mess?... how was I going to explain this to my mother? ... or more importantly... how was I going to face Dick at the charity event tomorrow evening?

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Do you ever recall a situation where you found yourself at a new low... your insides aching at the amount of tears you had shed the night before, your every muscle tensed in anxiety... and the moment you mustered the courage to face the world again you sat in your car and the most relevant songs randomly came on the radio...? Yea well... here I was, on my way to the police station to see what I could do to get Komi out of jail and the radio kept messing with my emotions. No matter what station I turned to the song playing always seemed to relate to my situation.

"Damn it!" I shouted to myself, turning the stereo off violently.

This was the last thing I needed, to be crying as I waltz into the police station to pick up my juvenile delinquent of a sister. I couldn't think about Dick at the moment, I knew if I did the tears would come rushing back again. From the moment my rusted eyes opened this morning, finding myslef passed out at the front door still I told myself I wouldn't break down again... that I would be strong. Yet, so far I had jsut spent my groggy morning in an endless circle of phone calls... to my mother, to the police station, back to my mother as she had put me on hold... all the while ignoring the texts I received from Rachel, and Gar, and Vic in worry for me... which I'm assuming Rachel had told them of my distraught appearance last night.

The reality... I didn't want to see anyone, nor did I want to be seen. I wanted to take care of my sister then lock myself away in my room and prepare myself for having to see Richard tonight. I didn't know what to expect from him, if he was still fuming like he was the night before or if he had calmed... either way I knew he was not sorry... no... Dick Grayson apologized for nothing he didn't truly believe was right in his mind.

In any event, I pulled into the police station, greeted by a field of photographers waiting to catch a glimpse of me and my sister in this juicy story that was our life. I inhaled deeply taking one last glance at my puffy eyes then stepped out of my car. I paused, coming to a halt as I was rushed by the flashing cameras which had ignited in a frenzy at the sight of me. I don't blame them it must have been a great collection of pictures. I stood in a pair of gray sweatpants and another one of my famous tanks, my hair thrown up in an unbrushed tangled mess of a bun... no make up, only a pair of large sunglasses to hide away my swollen eyes.

I could grasp only parts of their questions as they shouted them in my face, the entire scene frustrating me. I could barely walk forward, some of them knelt before me to grasp a better angle for their shot. If not for my sunglasses I would think I would hardly be able to see, but I still fought through the crowd nonetheless. I could feel them all around me now, shoving against each other, shoving at me, trying to get my attention. My eyes focused on the building before me, holding my head up high, ignoring all around me as best I could.

"Miss Anders." said a somewhat familiar voice. I turned to find the same police officer I had spoken with last night... a sigh of relief escaping me as he addressed the paparazzi now. "You're all gonna have to take a step back. Let her through! Let... her... through!"

I felt his hand grasp my arm gently now, pulling me out of the mosh-pit of cameras and my mind felt a sense of calm... for now. We entered the police station in silence. I glanced around the busy room, noticing a sea of blue uniforms. I inhaled deeply, just being in this situation made me feel overwhelmed... regardless of my issues with Dick.

"Kori Anders... very nice..." I heard a young man call in a seductive manner.

As I turned to the handcuffed gentleman the officer stepped between us, looking to the man. "Keep to yourself dammit."

I looked to the officer again and smiled. "Thanks." I removed my sunglasses with a sigh, my eyes involuntarily scanning for my sister now. "Can I see her?"

The officer hesitated. "Now, I wanna be accommodating to your situation but..."

"Please... I just need to see her." I pleaded.

The officer hesitated. "I'm sorry... I can't. Look, I know I said we needed to keep her overnight, but the drugs she's on... she's still on."

My eyes narrowed. "I don't know about that. I mean, sure, Komi's a little rebellious but drugs? I thought you meant something more along the lines of ... marijuana or..."

"Ecstasy."

I jerked my head back in shock at how calmly the officer replied. I paused taking time to soak this information in, then inhaling deeply I said, "So... what exactly can I do? I mean... if its money... I can..." I paused diving a hand into my purse fumbling like a complete mess. "... I have ... I have it. I just..." My shoulders drooped. "Please just... let me take her home."

"I can't..." I exhaled slowly as the officer looked to me with obvious sympathy... sympathy I didn't want. I just wanted to take my sister home. She wasn't this person, the one they made her out to be. Komi was rebellious, experimental even, but this... this just wasn't necessary in my eyes. I paused as a slight flicker of light changed in his eyes giving me a fragment of hope... which soon ceased to exist. "I can't ... I want to... but I can't. Until your sister is clean, her system no longer contaminated... she'll be here. She's been here a few hours so... it should be anytime now. Then... we can get started on her paperwork and..." His head leaned toward me. "...and I will call you when that moment comes."

I shook my head, tapping my right foot continuously against the ground, my arms crossed. "I called... I spoke with..." I paused, a hand on my forehead now as my eyes moving frantically over the ceiling in thought. "... what was her name? Right, Sheila... I spoke with Sheila and she said... she told me that I would be able to..."

"Officer Sheila is new to the force and while she is a great addition to our team here... she isn't correct in this." He paused, acknowledging my frustration in silence. "Look... if you need me to..."

"No... thank you." I snapped, not trying to sound angry but... I was. I stormed out of the building, elbowing my way through the paparazzi once more and slamming my car door shut. I took a deep breath, then paused noticing my phone beep. Lifting it to my view my heart sank... of course it would be Dick who called me in this heated moment. Immediately ignoring it I tossed my phone to the passenger side of the car, the heavy weight on my shoulders now increasing in strength.

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**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

"Dick... Dick! Wake Up!"

I lifted a hand to my head in a grunt, a headache greeting me with the mornings violent rays of sunlight which shone through the cracks in the shutters.

"Dick!"

As the voice sounded again I turned to my side to find a preppy Tiffany. As my eyes fell upon hers I rest my head back against the pillow once more, the entirety of the night coming back to me. I remembered Kori... Roy... me, and the things I said. I went numb as I remembered how I had treated her. I had never talked to Kori in such a way before, but my jealousy had finally boiled over. Even when she practically begged me to calm down... I felt nothing. It was her walking away from me that stung more then anything else.

I inhaled deeply, knowing I wasn't the least bit guilty about what I had done more along the lines of how I had went about it. I was satisfied with the fact that I knew Kori would keep her distance from Roy ... at least for now, if only to keep me calm.

"Dick, answer me!" Tiffany sounded again.

I turned to her with a glare. "What?"

She looked to me with a flirtatious smile... a smile I didn't have time for. I had to be ready for the charity event and as I looked to the clock it was already eleven. I inhaled deeply, moving my legs over the side of the bed and leaning forward, my elbows on my knees in a heavy sigh. "You should probably go."

I heard a small whimper escape her but as I looked to her unflinching she quickly headed toward the door... a quick ' call me' sounding after her. I looked to my feet now... my head throbbing and dry mouth making me very irritable. I made my way to the kitchen, the house being empty was perfect for me. I didn't have to be concerned with Alfred's keen eye for noticing when I'm in one of my moods, or Bruce walking in and giving me an hour lecture about one thing or another... no... complete and utter silence.

Silence which was shattered as my phone went off. I looked to the caller ID ... Rachel. Rolling my eyes I lifted the phone to my ear. "Look, If your about to lecture me about Kori... I really don't care to hear it."

"Good morning to you too."

I paused inhaling deeply. "Do you need something?"

"Wow, I feel like I might be rubbing off on you far too much." She paused. "Speaking of Kori... why aren't you with her?"

"Because."

There was a brief hesitation. "Alright well, maybe you should be." As she said this my eyes narrowed, was she really unaware of what happened between Kori and I? ..and if not why would she be concerned for Kori... my mind flashed into panic, awaiting her next words. "I tried talking to Kori last night but she was busy with the cops so I just..."

"Cops? What are you talking about? Is she alright?"

"Look..." she continued, her patience for my interruptions having gotten to her now. "... I can't get a hold of Kori, neither can Gar, and neither can Vic, If anyone can its you so would you just call her? Apparently Komi is in a lot of trouble or something.. I don't know. I'm just trying to be a decent friend by calling you for her, because obviously she isn't willing to do so herself... bye."

I hesitated the phone lingering by my ear even after Rachel hung up. Then, stepping into the living room, I turned the television on. My eyes widened as the image of Kori walking through a crowd of paparazzi and reporters away from the police station settled into focus. I felt a lump in my throat now, at the sight of her. She looked tired... exhausted, and I knew by the presence of sunglasses she was trying to hide her eyes. The reporter explained the situation with Komi and what was happening with her and Kori, who was trying her best to help her sister.

By habit I immediately dialed Kori's phone number and as it rang I stared down at it hesitantly. I wasn't sure that I wanted to speak to her, nor that she would answer. I thought about hanging up but then paused lifting the phone to my ear. I was her best friend and if she answered and really needed me I'd be there... but she didn't. As i ended the call before it could go to voice mail I stared down at my phone somewhat hurt she didn't answer, but I knew why and didn't blame her.

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The charity event was to take place at 6:30 pm and as I stepped out of the shower, I looked to the clock, my mind panicking now... 5:57 pm. I cursed under my breath and rushed into my room, hating the fact that Alfred was gone. He knew where all my best suits were and always ironed them to perfection, and when he wasn't here,... well, I had Kori, but I didn't have her right now.

6:15 pm

"I'll be right there!" I shouted to the person on the other side of my front door as a loud knock sounded.

I stopped before the small table beside the door lifting my phone, which had been charging then paused... noticing the set of keys to my Audi missing. Rolling my eyes I opened the door and greeted my driver in a rush.

As the limo came to a halt in traffic I sighed to myself. Great, I'd be late... to a charity event of all things... not to mention I would be standing next to the one person who despised me at the moment. Now, for the first time in a long time I was nervous, and I realized it wasn't anything having to do with this event, no... it was about Kori and whether or not she would show. The Kori I knew would be there regardless of any argument we might have had, she'd be standing there smiling and fidgeting with herself consumed in nerves and scolding me through closed teeth at my inability to be on time, but now... I wasn't sure.

Since Miami Kori had been... different... and I didn't like it. I didn't enjoy having to fight for my time with her, or struggle reading her expressions... but I would if I had to. There was no way I would let Kori slip through my fingers... I've already lost too many loved ones, and I wasn't willing to give her up. Hypocritical? ... I didn't see it that way. I knew she was upset with me because of how I treated her but it was merely a result of my affection for her... and if I had the opportunity to do it again... I wouldn't change a thing.

I inhaled deeply, adjusting my tie as the limo came to a halt at my stop. I looked out the window before exiting, my eyes falling upon her instantly... she stood out more than anyone there, her black gown flowing just below her knees, her hair tied up in an elegant bun.

Stepping out of the car I lifted a hand to shield my eyes from the flashing cameras which surrounded me. Ughh... how I hated these events. I paused as a hand graced my right arm. I turned to find Kori's arm intertwined with mine, her eyes smiling for the cameras.

"You look amazing Kori," I said involuntarily,... my mind speaking for me. In truth... all the anger I had towards her... it all perished at the sight of her. Sure, I was still upset with her deep down... but right now... I couldn't do anything other than absorb all her beauty. She refused to look at me and a part of me was glad because I knew those large emerald eyes of hers would be holding a fierce gaze devised just for me.

I paused turning to the cameras which began to flash even faster now and placed an arm around her waist and pulled her into me, her body forming to mine in memory. "I knew you'd be here."

"I'm here for Bruce," she said, gritting her teeth in a plastic smile then looking to me... those damn eyes burning right through me.

"I heard about Komi."

I swallowed hard as she turned to me once we entered passed the cameras and into a grand hall. I stepped back as she pointed a finger at me, a wrinkle in her nose. "You keep your distance from me. I'm here because Bruce asked it.. expects it of me... not for you."

"Bruce?" I laughed raising a brow. "You're here for Bruce?"

"Yes, Bruce. I told him I'd be here. I gave him my word."

"I don't recall that. Are you sure you don't just miss me?" I teased, initially just trying to see how upset she really was with me. Little did I know my blood would begin to boil as she replied.

"Don't you dare start that arrogant demeanor with me Dick, I know you better then to be fooled by it. How can you be such a prick? You basically call me a whore, and now your sucking up to me as though..."

"Sucking up to you?" I rolled his eyes and enjoyed a small laugh... this is where my anger returned. I shook my head, looking to her with sigh. "Please Kori, I'm just trying to make the best of a fucked up situation."

"Oh, so now me being here with you is a fucked up situation?"

"Geeze Kori,... I've only been around you five minutes and I wish I was deaf."

I chuckle slightly as her eyes widened, fuming in anger. A part of me took time to acknowledge how voluptuous she looked when she was angry. I admit, it sparked excitement within me.

I inhaled deeply, forcing a smile to a passing woman as Kori stepped closer to me. "You know what Richard..." She leaned into me, her lips near my ear and her scent settling over me sweetly. "... if you would have apologized I would be more accommodating, but since you seem to enjoy your continuous attitude, then you can go fuck yourself."

As these words slipped so unexpectedly from her lips I felt a tightness in my chest. Did I respond with amount of pain I felt at such a comment... no,... my pride was shattered, so instead I smiled. "Don't need to... I have a girl for that."

My heart sank with her reply... she paused those eternal eyes looking to me with what I knew was a forced smile. "Please... just stay away from me. I can't be around you... not now."

My eyes were narrowed in a glare now... my chest was heaving in anger but I could not speak. She turned away, her frail figure mingling with the crowd now. I remained perfectly still, ... shock developing over me at an increased rate... I had never felt this much anger. Kori had never asked me to stay away from her... nor was I at all used to her choice of tone.

For the rest of the night I did as she requested and kept my distance from her. Whether I was angry with her or not... she needed time away from me and while my time away from her was slowly eating away at me... I couldn't exactly tell her that, and I hated myself and my pride for this very reason. I had gone out of my way to keep my feelings from her to save our friendship and in turn lashed out in jealousy... our friendship rattled.

So yea, I kept my distance, truth being I couldn't bring myself to argue with her anymore, the pain in her eyes as I looked back at her with no emotion, I could see was tearing her down... I just couldn't stop myself. Just watching her in all of her beauty as she mingled among the crowd I felt my heart beat quicken. She was the one girl who could make my heart beat in such fierce anger I thought I might lose control and at the same time... she could make me feel so in love her with a simple smile. I hated it... trust me, to be in love with someone you can never really have... its torture.

I felt my fists clench as a random bystander placed an arm upon her back, whispering something in her ear. I didn't draw too much attention to it, my own thoughts developing over me now. Then it occurred to me... if I was this protective and easily brought into jealousy when she wasn't even technically mine to claim... then there's no telling what would happen if I ever did get the courage to tell her how I feel. The thought alone brought me back to earth... I felt small... helpless against my own desires in which refused to subside.

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The next day, ...Monday...school... none of it helped my situation anymore then I thought it would. I had to hold back my anger and rage,,... and desire to be in her presence, the whole time. She would glance to me now and again, each time my heart jumping... I hated the nerves she brought to my attention. I knew I kept a firm, emotionless face but my insides were in a conflicted battle.

I didn't want to see her with Roy and yet there she was standing beside him in the food court. I could feel the tightness in my fists as I clenched them beneath the table. He was flirting with her openly. I could hear their conversation as I focused now.

"So where did you run off too after the party?" Roy asked. "I didn't see you after I left you with Dick, and you didn't reply to any of my texts."

I cursed beneath my breath, of course Kori had given him her number... just another thing to occupy my already impatient thoughts about Kori. I had been so focused on my thoughts I had missed a part of their conversation and quickly focused upon them once again.

"What did you say?" I heard Kori ask Roy, I noticed a small amount of anger in her tone.

I paused, silencing Rachel as she said, "Their talking about you can you hear it?" She fell silent as I placed a finger to my lips. We were both watching now.

"Take it back Roy. You don't know what you're talking about. Dick... he's been through more than you could ever understand and..." Kori said.

Roy shook his head with a chuckle. "You can't be serious? After what he put you through... how can you defend him?"

My ears perked now, really wanting to hear her reply. "You don't get it do you? Roy... he's my best friend... he's everything to me."

"He called you a whore..."

I could hear her sigh heavily. "Look, say what you want about me, that's fine, but don't talk about him like that... not Dick. He's too important to me."

"You just said that you didn't want to see him... that you were angry at him. I can't understand this defensiveness for him. I mean, come one Kori... he's obviously being an asshole... why defend the poor little orphan boy? He deserves everything he gets."

My eyes widened as Kori brought her arm, bent at the elbow slightly, behind her and sent her fist flying into Roy's nose.

"What the Hell?" I heard Rachel laugh. She looked to me. "That ... was amazing."

I looked back to Kori, she was standing over Roy now who groveled on the floor, his hand upon his nose as it began to bleed violently. As he stood, cursing at Kori, I found myself on my feet and at her side in an instant. Roy looked to me with a glare.

"i should have known you'd be lurking."

I smiled, then looking to Kori I received a roll of her eyes before she took to the hallway. I followed her quickly, calling her name.

"I can't deal with you right now Dick. I don't want to see you."

"Would you just let me talk to you... there's no reason for you to still be upset with me." She finally paused looking to me now. I inhaled deeply, looking down at her. I shrugged. "I just don't want you with him Kori... can't you understand that?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What? This isn't about Roy this is about you and I. Now, I realize I've been distant with you but I had my reasons and after what you've done... it's what I need right now."

"I want to see you tonight," I asked... even as the words fell from my mouth I realized it was more of a plead then a request, the truth being I didn't want to spend another day without her.

My heart sank as she shook her head, her eyes receding in sorrow. "No Richard... I need time away from you."

My eyes narrowed. "What does that even mean Kori? We... we don't spend time away from one another. I ..." my anger had faded, replaced with pure sadness. I didn't want to be this guy to her... not anymore. I ran a hand through my hair nervously, and as I spoke I could hear my voice crack. "I... I need you right now."

"For what Dick? You just don't want me spending my time with Roy, which... is baffling since I don't bother you with you and your girlfriends. Why do you even care?"

"Of course I care Kori. Your my best friend and I..."

"I know... you _care_, I get it."

"I don't even understand why your still upset with me?"

She sighed. "Dick... you _know_ that's not true... you know you hurt me... and with everything happening with Komi... and Roy... and you... I can't ... I _wont_ deal with this right now." She turned to walk away then paused looking back to me with narrowed eyes. "Did you really think that what you said to me was just gonna go away? That if you just _pretended_ it never happened that I would just assume you were sorry?" She shook her head. "I told you... if you had just apologized... if you had just... _done_ anything but leave me alone..." I swallowed hard as she became emotional before me. I knew she was fighting it and every second tore at me. She shrugged, taking a step back from me. "I know that this whole emotional stuff is hard for you believe me... I know you Dick... your my everything... and after the way you made me feel... I just can't... I _can't_ be innocent and easily forgiving Kori... not this time." I placed a hand upon her arm to hold her back. She turned to me with a new-found anger. "I _don't_ want to see you Dick." Her eyes weakened against mine and a tear fell from her left eye... the sight alone made me numb. "... just leave me alone."

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(A/N) For those of you who continue to read... thank you.. you are amazing. lol I enjoyed writing this story and hope you enjoyed it =] ... The next chapter will be up shortly... just have to do some editing so please R/R


	8. The Sharpest Lives

Chapter Eight:** The Sharpest Lives**

Four days... it had been four miserable days since I last spoke with Kori. I had unintentionally noticed every minute away from her... the entire weight of my actions stabbing at my thoughts. Again... I didn't regret what had happened I just wasn't a fan of the consequences that followed. Admitting I was wrong would mean that I was comfortable with Kori being with Roy... and I wasn't... and I probably never will be. The reality had long since settled over me and I was not enjoying myself the least bit... in fact... I found myself becoming more and more irritable with the situation.

I had ended things... really before they even began,... with Tiffany, the realization hitting me that I needed to be on my own. Without Kori I was floundering and had yet to find a way to get her to return to me. At school she went out of her way to avoid me, even when in the same room with our friends she remained focused on forcing herself to ignore me... each moment slipping me further into the already frustrated state I was in. I didn't let it show that it bothered me, and in fact I had convinced myself that this was what I wanted... which obviously I didn't really believe. I wanted... no scratch that... I _needed_ to fix things with her. This entire situation only proved that she was more than just important to me... she was a part of me. Most of the time, when not at school I struggled with what to do with myself. Within these days away from her I had to force myself not to call her... I even found myself, while in certain situations, dialing her number or driving the route to her house by habit. It sounds pathetic... and yea, it is... trust me, I'm well aware. The truth is... I was lost without her. She was the one I had spent every day alongside for eleven years... I just simply didn't know what to do with myself without her at my side.

There were several occasions whether with friends or on my own where she remained in my mind and I would say things that only she would understand the humor in. Of course, others didn't get what I was saying and as the realization set over me the weight of Kori being gone faced me again.

So yea, ... I was angry with her for the situation with Roy but in no way did I ever want to lose her. Even now as she sat across from me at the other end of the table in the food court at school I was contemplating my move. We were all gathered around the table, all available spaces taken, our conversation loud, our voices fighting over the large crowd. I drew away from my thoughts as Victor spoke.

"Check it out," he said. He lowered a magazine to the table with a laugh.

"Oh no." I heard Kori say with much distaste. I looked to the magazine now, both her and my face were plastered on its cover. We all sat in silence as Rachel read it aloud.

"Kori Anders and Dick Grayson split. " she laughed. "Miss Anders was spotted just yesterday shopping along side friend Rachel Roth and a new fresh face. The guy,... who remains nameless, was quite close with the young heiress, sparking rumors that she and Dick Grayson have finally called it quits."

"Where do they even get their information?" Gar laughed.

"Wait... you and Grayson were..." began Xavier, the playboy I had briefly mentioned before who sat beside Kori.

"No." I was surprised at how quickly Kori answered. "Its funny really... the media thinks that because Richard and I are inseparable that there must be something between us, but its never been anything more then friendship."

"...continue..." Gar said, poking at Rachel's hood, her giving him a glare before proceeding.

She inhaled deeply. "Rumors which have been declared truth for earlier this week, young Grayson was spotted arm in arm with a fellow peer named Tiffany Homles." She rolled her eyes. "When in an interview with Bruce Wayne in New York, he spilled that the two, Anders and Grayson, ... '...are in the middle of a complicated age. While their distant from each other now, its only a matter of time until they're back at it again.' "She paused. "Even your old man sells you out."

"Leave Bruce alone," Kori said. "It's likely they took his words out of context anyhow. Bruce would never intentionally draw attention to Richard and I."

_'There it was again'_ I thought to myself. Richard,... Richard... Richard. If she hadn't made it a habit of referring to me as Richard when she was cross with me then I might actually prefer it... the name spilled from her mouth in such a sweet way. No doubt I deserved it for the way I spoke to her, but I was easily growing tired of not having her around. Even as she avoided my gaze upon her now, I could tell she was still hurt. I admit it was a shock for her to continue with such strength to avoid me, but I knew she was missing me just as much as I was missing her. I paused, finding a new found hatred for the media as Rachel continued.

"So, how will things turn out at the birthday celebration to take place for Kori this evening? ...an event where both teens are expected to attend? We'll keep you updated, for now... keep an eye out... it seems the two teens have been all over town." She laughed and looked to Kori. "You life always seems far more glorious when I read it in the papers."

Kori rolled her eyes. "None of what they say is true."

At this her and Xavier stood, leaving the table... me remaining behind rolling my eyes. I knew Kori better then anyone and I knew she was nervous about tonight. Her party was normally at my house, but this time around it would be thrown at Rachel's. She had made it very clear she didn't want me there but I knew a part of her did.

"Don't worry you have me, Dickie, and I look way better in an evening gown." Kitten said, rolling her fingers across my hair.

I moved her hand away from me and stood. I began to walk away but could clearly hear the conversation continue as I left.

"What did I do?" I heard Kitten say.

A laugh from Rachel sounded. "Don't touch his hair, its his most prized possession."

"Yea." Gar chimed in. "Don't touch the hair. It just pisses him off."

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**(Kori Anders' POV)**

Sixteen... was that really all? I could have sworn I had led the life of someone far older, but then again that's coming from a teenager so I don't know how realistic of a perspective it is. In the end, today I was finally turning the magical stepping stone of sixteen... not that it felt that way. I had been excited for this day for some time now but now that it was here I couldn't help thinking it wasn't all that great... perhaps I had built it up too much, I don't know. What I did know was that I was the only one not looking forward to tonight.

I had spent the week going to great lengths to avoid Richard entirely. I could tell it was making his blood boil and in truth I wasn't all that satisfied either. Today I had found myself struggling not to look into those once warm, comforting blue eyes which had scarred me so. The entire day, up to now, had been a complete blur... I was consumed in my thoughts the majority of the time. I know I had made it obvious to Dick that I didn't want him coming to the party at Rachel's house but... it wasn't true. I think you know me better than to believe any of this... this separation from Dick... was the least bit enjoyable. He was on my mind constantly and I had to force myself to replay his hurtful words in my head for strength. It sounds childish but I wasn't going to let him get away with this... not this time. No, this time I expected better from him... the only issue being I wasn't sure if it was because of my feelings for him that I was being this way or because he truly had hurt me more than he ever had... although i suppose it's a little bit of both.

I stood now in front of my mirrored closet. I looked down at my dress with a sigh... black? ... on my birthday... mmm maybe not the best choice. After all I didn't exactly want anyone to know I would not really be enjoying myself tonight. I didn't expect Richard to show and it was because of my own standoffish behavior which I ... I was conflicted about... obviously.

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It was ten o'clock now ... the party had been going on for a few hours and it would have been a great night had I not been in this present mind-set. In the end... Dick never showed. I was surprised how hurt I was by this. I mean... I suppose its my own fault, but that didn't exactly waver the anger I felt for him now. We had never spent a birthday, his or mine, apart and this entire situation I found myself in was nothing short of torture. The memories... all of them, that I had shared with Dick from when we first me those eleven years ago up until now came rushing over me.

I needed yet another distraction to cushion the blow of this overwhelmed feeling with engulfed me. All night I had faked smiles, giggled without any true amount of humor felt,... and it was all because of the one person I had pushed away. I looked to Rachel... she was sitting beside Gar on the couch, each a drink at hand. I tried to distract my mind by merely observing my surroundings, first noticing how pretty Rachel looked tonight and if not for that permanent stiffness in her demeanor, how beautiful her features really were. My eyes passed to Gar now... not even he... the comedian of our group had been able to lighten my mood, not that he didn't try and kept trying.

I smiled as Gar lifted a hand toward Rachel brushing a violet strand of hair from her cheek, receiving a lingering yet... somewhat content look from Rachel. It was now that the thought occurred to me that Rachel and I hadn't really spent much time together this week... I mean, I knew the reason and it took the form of a tall, dark, handsome, stunning blue-eyed boy ... and any other cliché you can think of, but I had realized I missed her. I missed not knowing what was going on in her life, or any of the others who I had come to avoid. It's not that this was intentional... I just wasn't feeling myself and I knew I would continue to do so until I did. Damn... there I go again... Richard ... Richard... Richard... all day... all night... I was beginning to annoy even myself.

Inhaling deeply I downed the last of my drink and having decided that I could no longer bare the energy in the room from the teenagers and friends around me as they slipped further into drunkenness... I stepped out of the room. I made my way into what I quickly learned was the only place of quiet.

I smiled, the large birthday cake designed just for me remained the center piece of a long polished wood table. I sighed again stepping to the table now and glancing down at the intricate designs on the cake... and that's when I heard it... and that's when I saw him...my Richard.

He stood there, in the doorway... just staring at me, ... the look in his eyes I was all too familiar with. The awkwardness of the situation continuously and relentlessly stooping further. Words... I couldn't form a single one... not out loud anyway. My mind, as always was racing, conflicted with the possibilities of why he was standing there before me. What more could he possibly have to say? I had forced space between us to give him time to calm down, it had been four days days... so why... why was he looking at me this way?

I swallowed hard against the lump that had surfaced in my throat as he ran a hand through his hair. I knew he was about to speak and for the first time in... well forever... I didn't know what he was thinking. Then it came... his voice sounding more hurt then I expected.

"Kori..."

My gaze tried to focus on his, but his eyes were scanning over the ground before him, a hand at the back of his neck now.

"I understand..." he began again, falling short of words once more. I inhaled deeply, his eyes looking to me with what appeared to be guilt. He shook his head. "... I understand if seeing me right now is too soon, but... I don't... I don't want to look back at this day years later as the first year we didn't spend your birthday together."

My heart sunk in my chest. Sure, he had been a fool the other day and I wasn't entirely sure I was ready to forgive him... but he was right. I didn't actually believe for one second that this would be the fight we ended our relationship over... and hearing him otherwise feeling the same, I couldn't help but feel guilty now as well. Guilt for what I'm not sure, but I felt something.

I cleared my throat. "I know."

My heart jumped again as a pair of pleading blue eyes stared back at me. As I said this a flicker... a dim flicker of hope ignited in his eyes. I saw his chest raise as he inhaled deeply, lowering a hand to his left jeans pocket with a shrug. "I miss you..." he said, pausing as my eyes narrowed. He took a step toward to long table which separated us and in turn I stepped back almost hitting the wall behind me. I looked to his hand which remained over the table as he nervously fiddled with the stack of napkins beside the birthday cake. "I don't... I don't like this..." he said, his eyes still on the table. He wasn't very good at expressing himself so the moment, for me, happened in a dream like haze. "... I don't like being distant from you." His eyes were on mine now... I'm assuming in anticipation for my reply but I just couldn't speak.

Instead I gave a brief nod, my eyes were on the floor now, my mind completely blank until he moved again. I raised my gaze to his figure. He placed a small wrapped gift upon the center of the table then turned me again. I hated myself for this moment because I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye. Even as his black converse shoes stopped before me, I found my gaze on the floor. I felt lost... I knew he had meant every one of those words he called me, the memory of his unflinching blue eyes as I teared up before him... I knew he didn't regret it. As I mentioned previously... Dick never apologized for anything he wasn't sorry for, so why he was here... I still was unsure.

I felt my heartbeat quicken as his hand moved to the bottom of my chin directing my gaze to his. His eyes had this intensity I had never seen in them before, and I felt uncertainty scramble through my head once again. We stayed in this moment for a short while before he spoke.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you... I really am. I just want you to be mine... it's how its _always_ been." He said swallowing hard. I could hear his voice crack slightly.

I didn't speak, his apology alone still processing. And then it happened... I felt him take a small step closer to me, closer than he already was. My eyes were still on him, trying to read his behavior. I could feel his breath upon me as he backed me into the wall, his gaze still intense. He looked down at me unblinking, his eyes flowing over my every feature. I swallowed hard as he brushed a stray hair from my sight, tucking it behind my ear with a slight side smile. I could hear my heartbeat in my throat now as he leaned closer to me his lips were inches from mine now and everything around me had vanished. There was Dick... and there was me... that's all... everything else slowly faded around us.

The silence was stabbing at my senses, his hand moving slowly to the back of my neck, a thumb rubbed back and forth across my cheek. I opened my mouth to speak but fell silent as his eyes focused upon my lips now... then it happened. He leaned ever closer, his lips finally meeting mine in utter bliss. I could feel my entire body ignite in emotion, ... his soft touch meeting mine.

He lingered in the kiss, and then... he pulled away. His eyes remained shut as he rested his forehead against mine. "Happy birthday Kori."

It was the last thing he said before leaving in silence. I stood, frozen in shock, his figure vanishing behind the door across from me joining celebration and leaving me to my weak knees. I leaned back against the wall slowly lowering myself to the floor, soaking in all that had happened. Dick had just kissed me, something he had never done before. I mean, there was the occasional kiss on the cheek, just to get his female fan club to riot in giggles, but this was different. I lifted a hand to my lips, my eyes shut in remembrance. This definitely complicated things between us... but right now... I basked in the moment enjoying the utter desire I had for him in which he had fulfilled with one kiss.

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**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

Every inch of me... every vein... every muscle... was screaming in euphoria. My lips were against hers... those soft, perfect lips... her sweet taste igniting a passion inside of me I did not know existed. I would have remained in this moment forever if I could... but truth be told... it was a moment that shouldn't have happened... no matter how much I wanted it to.

I can't explain it. I just couldn't hold back any longer. She had been standing there when I arrived, her eyes cowering before mine in both surprise and confusion at my presence. All my thoughts, all the words I had prepared ... gone the moment my eyes lay upon her. She stood in a blue dress, my favorite color... my favorite color on her... and she looked absolutely breathtaking, the dress hugging her slim figure in all the right places. I hesitated before her, my breathing becoming strained now.

Even as I struggled with my words to her my mind was focused on her beauty and how quickly I was loosing control before her. I had placed her gift upon the table and paused... I should have left then... but I didn't. I looked to her again, she stood near the edge of the table, her eyes lowered to the floor. Her entire demeanor drew me to her... I hated the fact that this is what our friendship had become... awkward silences, choppy conversation and odd glances.

I paused before her, drawing her attention to mine with a hand below her chin. Her large, eyes looked to mine with hesitancy... hesitancy which I never wanted her to have around me... no matter the reason. It was at this point that my inner voice, which was telling me to turn back and leave,... it fell quiet allowing me this moment. Her hesitancy still lingered over me but I didn't care any longer, I was more focused on what I was about to do.

Kori... my innocent Kori had become the one most inner desire I had ever experienced and in this moment I looked over her, my eyes taking in every inch of her beauty. And then I kissed her... the feeling more satisfying then I could have ever anticipated, and what was even more amazing is that she allowed it. She allowed my lips to remain upon hers until I eventually pulled away. My eyes were shut... I was still captivated by her touch. Then... inhaling deeply,... I wished her a happy birthday and left. The moment I reached the rest of the party my mind was racing. I knew it was a wrong decision to do what I did... but there was no other way, I had to... and now that I had... I was engulfed in adrenalin.

"Dick... you made it!" I heard Vic call from within the crowd, but I was too focused to acknowledge.

I stepped out of the party quickly stepping to my bike and taking to the streets. It was now that my actions fully developed over me. I was angry at my inability to be stronger around Kori... she was a weakness... the only one I really had. I was so focused on my thoughts and the possible consequences that would follow that I had begun to drift more toward my thoughts then the road in which I sped down. So much so that I didn't even see the car as it raced around the corner and met head-on with my bike... then darkness.. pure and utter darkness consumed me.

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(A/N) Alright so this chapter is much shorter then most but... I don't know I really just wanted to focus on this main scene, which was epic for me. Either way hope you enjoyed it... Chapter 9 will be up real soon, again its already written I just need to do some editing so please R/R =]


	9. We'll Carry On

Chapter Nine: **We'll Carry On**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

"Wake Up Dammit!"

The voice sounded, a coupled sensation of a harsh strike against my head following. My eyes opened slowly, glancing around at my surroundings... I wasn't home... I was still at Rachel's place. In fact I had not left the very spot where Richard had left me. The night, beyond the epic kiss we shared, was a complete blur to me now. How I even fell asleep... how the party ended... I had no idea. I just remembered him walking away... my legs feeling heavy, and as I lowered myself to the floor leaning back against the wall my insides remained frozen as if time... everything around me just came to a halt. There was no noise loud enough that could wake me from my daze, ... I was completely and utterly frozen in bliss.

"Kori!"

I lifted my eyes to find my sister hovering over me... right, actually I should probably get you up to date with all that's happening with her real quick. Alright so,... remember the day I went to the police station to retrieve her and I was turned away... well apparently Komi had called my mother shortly after I had left and my mother worked her magic... I'm assuming it took the form of money and a small threat from her highly respectable lawyers... but regardless Komi was set free on bail later that day. She was furious with me of course and while I tried to explain to her that I had done everything I could think of to get her out... yea ... she didn't really care... on the contrary, she was pissed. So I had spent this entire past week merely enduring her bitching and complaining to me about everything... and I mean everything. She knew I had gotten into a fight, or something with Dick, I didn't exactly give her the details, but she would go on ranting about how pathetic I was for him... and while I know this is true... as well as you do, by now, I'm sure... it didn't exactly help my situation.

My situation, as of last night, which ceased to exist. To be perfectly honest... this feeling... this undeniably amazing feeling is nothing short of indescribable... there aren't enough adjectives that exist in the world that could shed light to the amount of emotion I was submerged in right now. It reminded me of this painting I once saw... I can't remember where but its image stuck with me. It was nothing more than an explosion of colors and textures of paint that poured out from one solid point in every direction like the grand finale of a fireworks show all being released in one. To me the painting was beautiful... I saw it as nothing more than an emotion. It might sound strange or... I don't know... perhaps my interpretation of it was entirely wrong but I remember thinking that the artist responsible for this piece of work was trying to pour his soul into the painting trying to recreate not merely an image of something recognizable but an emotion he or she had once experienced... an emotion I felt at this very moment.

Even as Komi stood over me babbling about... whatever it is she was talking about... I couldn't really hear a thing... my mind... as always was elsewhere... that blinding light that was Dick Grayson set to full-screen over my mind.

...that is until Komi pulled me to my feet in a violent thrust.

"What?" I shouted. I felt pity on anyone who tried to revive me from my daze... I would not go willingly, and should you succeed I would not be in the greatest of moods.

She stared at me narrow eyed. "What the hell is _wrong_ with you?"

I smiled... my mind slowly trying to drift back to...

"Haven't you been listening to a word I've said?" She yelled shoving me back.

I lifted a hand to my forehead, shaking my head slightly. "Not exactly."

"Can you two be _any_ louder?" I heard Rachel mumble as she entered with tired eyes.

I gave her a smile then inhaling deeply I looked to Komi, my patience for her nonexistent at this point. "What? What is so important that you would go out of your way to find me?"

She paused, crossing her arms with a sinister grin. "So you haven't heard?"

I rolled my eyes. "Komi... come on... what is it?"

"I'm going away for a while... I'll be staying with mother."

It was now that I came to a stop, my gaze staring at hers dumbfounded. Was this really the important news she felt I needed to know? I sighed. "I will miss you ... hopefully your stay with mother is pleasant."

Her eyes narrowed at mine. "That's it? You don't care?"

I paused as my eyes met the table where the birthday cake once was... Dick's gift still sitting untouched where he had left it. My curiosity and excitement took over now. I moved passed an agitated Komi and a silent Rachel, stepping to the table as if I were a magnet to its presence. I lifted the gift into my hands... I knew it was jewelry just from the shape of the box. Which was great, although I hated when he spent money... a lot of money on me... but he always did. I smiled... a smile that didn't fade until the gift was unwrapped. I swallowed hard, staring down at the white-gold bracelet. A small charm in she shape of a star with the word 'Eternal' engraved in it sat before my eyes. I didn't really focus on the diamonds that were embedded in its fine design, ... I turned the small 'Eternal' charm over and my heart melted. It read: Grayson-Anders ... and below this was the date in which we first met, right down to the very day. I felt my eyes water again... but I did not cry tears of sadness, merely pure passion for him. I laced the bracelet around my wrist then wiping at my eyes... Komi's voice shouting at me again.

"I need you to drive me to the airport."

I nodded to acknowledge her... not even comprehending what she had said. I was in my daze again... and I felt light as a feather as I stepped out of the room, Komi and Rachel both following me. I paused... my hand went to my side... no phone? I looked down at myself and realized I was wearing the blue dress I had chosen to wear at the last-minute. I rolled my eyes... what if Richard had tried to call me after he left? I raced toward the front door, Komi yelling after me but I remained unaffected, remembering that I had chosen to leave my phone behind last night at the obvious predicament of not having pockets.

I sighed, the dress I wore was unnecessarily tight and I wished more than anything to be free of it at this point. As I reached for the front door handle I felt Komi's hand upon my shoulder, her turning my entire body to face her. A slight chuckle escaped me as I noticed how much anger she was really feeling for me, her red face and bug eyes were focused solely upon me and my easily distracted mood.

"I said I need you to drive me to the airport."

I laughed. "Of course, ...this is why you went out of your way to track me down? Sorry,... I don't think so. Just call for a car."

Her eyes narrowed again, the vein in her neck was pulsating violently in warning,... but it didn't bother me, nothing could bother me at this point.

"I can't just call for a car." She paused tapping her foot against the ground before me in a fit. "You _have_ to drive me."

As I shrugged, I noticed Rachel hide a smile. "Sorry... I'm busy today." I placed my hand once again on the doorknob. "It's not my fault if you're trying to avoid the media..." I turned to Rachel now pausing... a smile plastered across my face , if there's one thing that could make this day better... its shopping. I know, I know... a completely girly thing to say but... doesn't a cup of coffee at hand while walking through the mall sound good to you? ... if not... you're not doing it right. "You want to go to the mall?"

It was obvious she was not the least bit interested but I could tell the eagerness in my expression was eating away at her. With a slight shrug she said, "Sure... as long as it doesn't take all day."

I jumped for joy, my excitement igniting again. I stepped to Rachel, leaving Komi behind, I took her hand and led her to her room. We paused before her door. Her being the reason for the hesitancy. She looked to me with a raised brow. "Why are we going to my room?"

I rolled my eyes, she was very temperamental about who entered her room, but I was far too excited to give in to her displeased expression on entering. I shrugged placing my hand upon the door handle, but immediately remained still as Rachel's hand was now braced upon the door. I looked to her. "You would think you would get over this ridiculous sensitivity about your room. It's not as though I haven't seen it before."

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**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

I rolled my eyes as she stared back at me with that grand smile of hers. Removing my hand from against the door I sighed. "Fine... just... don't touch anything."

It's weird, a pet peeve I guess, but I hated other people in my room. It wasn't so much that I had anything to hide merely that I viewed this as the one place I could call my sanctuary. Kori, while I didn't really mind her going in my room, and she was right, she had been in my room before, a mere handful of times, but regardless I was defensive about my personal space.

I followed her in as she stepped into my room, and spun in an overly excited twirl. I paused observing her as she made herself comfortable upon my bed with a drawn out sigh. My eyes narrowed, ... there was something different about her... something... more enthusiastic about her attitude. Normally, on the off-chance she was in my room the whole vibe within my room instantly made her ... I would say somewhat nervous... quiet, but not this time.

"Alright..." I said crossing my arms in front of her. She looked to me in innocence. "... spill... whats got you in such a good mood?"

She paused before me, but I could see right through that smile she attempted to hide... why she even tried to hide it I wasn't sure... she wasn't very good at her attempt to do so.

She inhaled deeply. "I have something to tell you."

I hesitated in her following silence. "Ok..."

My eyes narrowed as she began to blush uncontrollably... this was when I immediately regretted having asked the question... it meant I was in for a long list of adjectives and an overly dramatic retrieval of memories.

She stood. "The boy... the one I told you about..." She paused, then continued as I nodded. "The most wonderful thing happened."

I rolled my eyes. "Please Kori... let's make this as simple as possible... skip the details... lets just hear what happened."

I could see her droop slightly... she was a fan of details and would gladly list as many as her mind could think of if you gave her the time.

"Well... he kissed me."

My eye brow raised in curiosity. "And does _he_ ... have a name?"

I could tell she was brimming with hesitancy and excitement but as I rolled my eyes again I noticed her release a heavy sigh. I paused leaning back against the dark blue wall behind me and sighed. I knew she was going to say Dick, ... I never could understand how either of them could be so oblivious to each others attraction... but I guess being close friends might have made it difficult. They seemed numb to such an obvious truth. Either way... she sat across from me suspended in her usual stuttering whimper of thought. She always had this insane amount of inner dialogue she just loved to entertain... and this is what she did, she searched through her mind for the most relevant words... the thought of what it would be like to step into her mind, I imagined would be similar to walking down the streets of New York... everything moving too fast and too rushed. I sighed... this is why her and Dick were so close... they were alike in many ways. I knew behind Dick's usual reserved demeanor there was an inner dialogue that just never stopped.. and sometimes, around Kori of course, it would surface slightly.

I sighed again, looking around at my room. My patience, I found, was more lenient while in the comfort of my own surroundings. And as Kori wrestled with her own thoughts I merely enjoyed my current position... merely standing in my room I had become more calm.

Stepping into my room was like walking through an entirely different house,... it was far different than any other part of the house... and I was proud of it. Each wall was painted a dark blue tint, the ceiling and carpet... black. Sounds gloomy, ... but I would think this was expected of me by now... you should know better. A small smirk formed across my face as my eyes rest upon the bookcase which towered beside my bed... the amount of books I owned... I couldn't give you a number, there was no point in keeping track any longer. My gaze skimmed passed a still frantic Kori... her mind still wavering... and came to a halt at the mahogany desk beside me. The incense I had burned the night before still hung thick in the air ... maybe this was why I felt more calm around Kori at the moment... I usually found her inability to focus quite frustrating.

"It was... Dick." She finally said... my eyes turning to her now. I didn't speak, merely gave her a smirk. I knew she was confused by this by the look upon her face. "What's that look for?"

I shrugged. "It's about time."

She hesitated, her eyes lowering to the floor. "What do you mean?"

"Come on Kori... you can't really be this..." I sighed. Then inhaling deeply I forced a smile. "Forget it... so... what does this mean for you two?"

I was surprised at her behavior now. She shook her head lowering herself upon the bed once more, her eyes focused upon her fidgeting hands. "Nothing."

"What?"

She stood once more, returning to her excited demeanor. "I'm not as ignorant as you may think Rachel." She shrugged, but I could tell her mind was beginning to spin in circles once again as a result of my comment. "Dick may have kissed me... and... and I have every right to bask in the memory of it... but that in no way means anything between us is to result from it."

I rolled my eyes, these two made everything far too complicated for themselves. "Why not? Did he say this to you?"

She shook her head. "No... but I know him, he was just trying to fix things between us."

"By kissing you?" I laughed... I was over this conversation, it was clear it was going nowhere.

"It's strange ... I know... but..." she paused brushing back her bangs. "Dick and I... it just... it doesn't... no matter how much I want it..." she sighed. "...it's not worth risking our friendship over."

I stepped to the door now, her following close behind me. "Look... you know as well as I do, if Dick had intentions of starting a relationship with you beyond friendship..." I paused looking to her, walking backward in front of her along the hallway. "... you wouldn't be able to resist."

She looked to me offended her brows dipping. "That isn't true."

I opened the front door now, my train of thought falling to ash as we were rushed by a fleet of reporters, their flashing cameras brought both of us to a halt.

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**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

"Is he going to be alright?" Came a familiar yet muffled voice.

"Yes... he's going to be just fine. I'll give you two some time." another voice sounded, footsteps fading now.

My eyes were clasped shut... even as I tried to open them an immediate sense of pain rose in me. I could feel my senses slowly returning to me, pain becoming the most noticeable now. It was as if someone flipped a switch, sending every muscle, every fiber of my being into pure agony. That bitter taste of blood hung heavy over me and I felt myself grunt against the sharp pain which engulfed me. I lifted my eyelids with a struggle, ... immediately noticing Bruce sitting in a chair opposite me. Inhaling deeply I moved my eyes around the room and while my sight remained partially blurred and blotched I knew immediately where I was, ... I was in the hospital. As the realization hit me I immediately looked down at the rest of my body, the memory of last night flooding back to me. I opened my mouth to speak but receded into an agonizing cough, my throat was so dry it felt like I was coughing up needles.

"Dick..." I heard Bruce say.

I looked to him as he extended a glass of water toward me. By habit I attempted to lift my right arm,... attempted... and failed. I looked down at my arm, it was wrapped in a cast. I shut my eyes, allowing time for the pain which had surged through this action settle.

"Dick... your bike was totaled."

I rolled my eyes. "You..." I coughed again, conversation proving more difficult physically then I could have anticipated. I paused lifting my left arm now, noticing the I.V. needle securely in my flesh. Accepting the glass now I drank, coughing again slightly at its harsh cool temperature trailed down my sore throat . I paused, my mind becoming clearer now. I looked to Bruce again, I was angry... not about the bike, not about the pain... but about my ability to be so careless. I could feel my anger rise as I spoke in a raised voice.

"How could I make such a stupid mistake?"

"Dick... the bike is gone but it's not what I'm worried about right now. Your going to be alright, and that's what matters."

I looked to him, my anger still fuming. "You didn't have to come here. I can deal with this on my own."

"Yes but you don't have to." He replied. He paused, looking to his phone now. "I've tried to get a hold of Kori and... nothing... so I came here myself."

I shook my head. "What? How could you not get a hold of her?"

It was now that I realized how upset I was that she wasn't here. It was obvious she wasn't aware of my condition or else she would be here... I knew nothing would stop her from getting to me. And I also knew the minute she discovered my present state that she would be a mess. Regardless of my regret of kissing her and the awkwardness I was certain would pursue when I saw her again... I didn't care... I needed her.

I tried to focus on Bruce's words as he spoke but I found myself unable to comprehend any of it... my focus was on the aching muscles which tightened as I tried to adjust myself in the bed.

"Would you just relax, Dick? Don't over exert yourself."

I released a choppy sigh, my body jolting slightly at this action... I was becoming more and more inpatient with myself. I swallowed hard again, the pain returning as I did, and I looked to Bruce. "Look, I know your still needed in New York... and I appreciate you being here but..."

"Is it possible for you to just focus on yourself right now? I'll go back to New York when I'm certain your alright."

I rolled my eyes. "I will be..." my eyes focused on his again. "...go."

He opened his mouth to speak but fell silent, losing his train of thought as his phone sounded. He paused, lifting a finger at me announcing he needed a moment. AS he left the room I sighed once more, glancing around the room. If there was one thing the least bit decent about this event it was that I didn't have to share a room with anyone.

I paused noticing the gloomy day as rain poured down upon the window to my right. Of course it would be raining today... right now... just as I'm waking up.

The silence in the room was beginning to frustrate me, ... of course the constant beeping of the EKG machine didn't exactly help. I felt groggy, stiff, ... the room around me and its blinding white walls suffocating me now. I couldn't get comfortable and the pain never really subsided for too long. The scent of ... that scent hospitals are drowning in, antiseptic and sick people hung heavy in the air. My mind kept wavering over Kori. I was worried about where she was and how she would react to the news of my present state. The room seemed smaller and I could feel myself beginning to slightly hyperventilate,... the EKG machine confirming this as its incessant beeping became more rapid. Before I could lose control I heard her voice... it was muffled, and ringing with distress, ... but I could hear it... it echoed off the hallway walls... a sense of calm showering over me.

"What do you mean I can't see him?" I heard Kori cry. "If you think your stopping me from..."

She fell silent as another voice raised over hers. "Ma'am,... I need you to calm down. Mr. Grayson is in no condition to..."

I heard a slight shoveling within the hallway and then the door to my room flew open. Kori froze in the doorway now... the look of despair in her eyes as they met mine was more than I could handle. I knew she would find a way to blame this whole thing on herself and as I watched her scan over my appearance...I knew this is what was the sole focus on her mind. She lifted a hand to her mouth, her eyes overflowing with tears now as she shook her head in a whimper.

"I'm alright Kori."

She shook her head again, her eyes refusing to look to mine. I could hear her breathing as it became stressed. "I can't ... this... this is my fault..."

I shook my head. "Kori... don't do that to yourself just..." I paused as her eyes moved frantically over my bruised and blood coated wounds scattered across my entire body. Her face turned pale... extremely pale and I felt a tightness in my chest as those beautiful eyes of hers rolled back in her head, her body falling back upon the ground with a loud thud.

My eyes widened and I immediately called to her but she remained without movement on the floor. I pressed the button on the side of my bed to signal the nurse but no one showed quick enough. I gritted my teeth, then lifting the i.v. to my lips I pulled it from my flesh, sending it to the floor now. Using all the strength I could muster I forced my legs over the side of the bed... the pain, don't get me wrong, was intense and I could feel my vision becoming blurred and spotty, but I had to get to her.

As I stood my entire body erupted in a symphony of misery, my muscles strained, and pleaded for me to return to the bed, ... but she was only a few feet away. I fixed my hand upon the railing of the bed to my left and struggled with my footing as I made my way toward her... slowly and undeniably painful, but I was almost within her reach.

I took another step and my knees buckled beneath me, my hand upon the bed railing was the only thing keeping me from falling flat. My body jolted slightly as a nurse entered the room with wide eyes. She looked to me, ignoring Kori and immediately stepped to me placing a hand upon my left arm trying to get me to lay back upon the bed. Her words were nothing more then fogged, muffled sounds in which I couldn't grasp, nor did I care.

"Help her... help her first."

The room flooded with nurses now all looking to me with concern. My anger was rising now... how could they just ignore her?

"Help her!" I shouted, finally grabbing their attention.

One of the nurses finally turned to Kori, and receiving help she lifted her to the chair in the corner of my room. I could feel my body cry out again as the pain returned to its full magnitude. I lay back upon the bed again, with aid from the nurse beside me, who immediately plunged a new i.v. into my arm... the EKG machine sounding again.

I focused on my breathing now as it slowly came to a calm, my eyes never leaving Kori. My view of her was constantly changing as the nurses crowded around her now.

"Is she going to be alright?" I asked.

One of the nurses turned to me with a look of disappointment. "She'll be fine Mr. Grayson... it's you who needs looking after. Don't try a stunt like that again, do you understand me?"

I paused as Kori's voice sounded. I looked to her with worry... it was now that Kori looked up to me, those drowning eyes widening once again. She instantly stood, walking toward me, and shoving the nurse aside.

She shook her head, her own pain shoved aside as she looked down at me. "I'm here..." She sniffled slightly. "I'm here Dick."

"Ma'am you can't be in here." The nurse shouted, her temper well deserved, after all Kori had just shoved her out her way.

Kori's eyes narrowed. "If you don't get the hell _out_ of my face..."

"No..." I said silencing both of them. "Look, Miss... whats your name?"

The nurse hesitated trying to hold back her anger as she responded. "Tammy."

I forced a smile. "Alright, Tammy, I'm only gonna say this once..." I motioned to Kori now. "... when it comes to her... just let her be here."

"She isn't family, nor is she..."

My eyes narrowed. "Yes she is."

As I said this the nurse took one last look back at Kori, Kori glaring back at Tammy as she tried to muffle her weeping, then left with a nod, taking her army of nurses with her. I looked to Kori... her entire body shaking as she tried to hold back her tears. I lifted a hand to hers and smiled up at her, shaking my head with a slight... painful, laugh. "Well aren't you pleasant today."

She looked to me, her tears falling in a constant stream now. She shook her head. "I know what you're trying to do, Dick. And I wont have it. Don't pretend as though this isn't serious." I swallowed hard as her chest heaved slightly. "I... you know that I would have been here if only I knew... I ..."

I inhaled deeply, I hated when she cried, not because it annoyed me but that it was only as a result that I couldn't make her feel better about the situation. Her eyes focused on me as I turned slightly upon my left side, motioning for her to lay beside me. "Come on..."

She stared back at me hesitantly. "No... Dick, you're in pain. I don't..."

I rolled my eyes. "Would you just lay with me?"

She shook her head again, wiping at her eyes. "It's raining outside..." It was now that I took notice of her dampened hair and clothes. I smiled at how adorable she was as she shrugged in helplessness. "I didn't have an umbrella..." her eyes receded into tears again. "I'm drenched."

I took her hand and pulled her down toward me. I knew she wanted nothing more than for me to hold her, and I felt the same, and as she carefully nestled herself into my arms I smiled, sending a kiss to her forehead. This moment, ... it was more painful than I could ever explain but merely holding her in my arms as she poured her feelings and tears into my chest, it made it all worth it.

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She cried for what felt like forever,... I never knew someone was capable of crying so hard, or for so long. Each time I tried to speak to her she just cried louder,... until finally I raised my voice... not enough to really be considered a yell, but just enough to surprise her.

"Kori..." she looked up from my chest in a weak sniffle. "... I need you to stop crying." I smiled. "I'm fine, your crying for nothing."

She paused swallowing hard. "Are..." she paused pressing her bottom lip between her teeth as she held back another wave of tears. "... are you in a lot of pain?"

"I'll be alright. Its my own fault."

She shook her head. "No Dick, its not. If I had just gone after you... if I had..."

"Stop... stop Kori. I can't handle seeing you like this... I don't like it." I paused as she inhaled deeply trying to compose herself. I brushed a stray hair from her face and smiled. "Look... this isn't anyone's fault but my own."

She hesitated, her eyes moving over my bruised features frantically. "Can I stay here... with you?"

I smiled. "Where else would I want you?" I paused as she began to breathe heavy again, fighting back her tears as best she could. I had to think of something... anything to keep her calm. Her present state was more important to me then my own. "I see you're wearing the bracelet. I take it you like it?"

She nodded, then paused her eyes narrowing at me. "I know what you're doing Dick."

I smiled again. "Then just let me do it."

She hesitated, then looking down at the bracelet she said, "You know I love it..."

"I wanted to see you smile when you opened it. I was anticipating the argument we have every year when you tell me I spend too much on you. I had the best defenses lined up against you." It was now that a giggle surfaced from her. I laughed now, relieved she was calming down. "See... I don't forget anything you tell me."

She looked to me trying to hold back a smile now. "I know you don't..."

I smiled, holding her tighter. "I'm glad your here."

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(A/N) wow... I felt a lot of pressure for this chapter. I wanted it to be perfect... and hopefully it is. Sorry it took me a little longer to update I've been feeling a little under the weather... Regardless, here it is and I hope it lived up to any expectations. To be honest I realize this story is happening slowly but I wanted to make sure nothing felt rushed. So, for those of you still reading... I give you my thanx. (R/R)


	10. I'm Not Okay

Chapter 10: **I'm Not Okay**

**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

Kori Anders... she was the epitome of each one of my thoughts... each thought destined to be locked away in the tomb that was my mind for I could never actually voice these inner most thoughts... and I'm certain some would go weary of such a lie... believe me, even I was. I could not deny I wanted to be with her... I wanted to make her every dream come true... but... reality just isn't as shiny and perfect as most want it to be... and I was well aware of this. There is nothing I could do to make sure that if I had initiated my feelings for her that it would be worth it. As I have mentioned before, and by now you are well aware of... I'm incapable of commitment. Which I'm sure sounds hypocritical since Kori is the one commitment, whether it be just in friendship or not, that I have ever made and stood by... but I couldn't risk the irrefutable fact that eventually... I would hurt her.

I would hurt her and I would lose her... everything... everyday I had spent alongside her would have been washed down the drain because I simply am incapable of committed love and only if I was would I enter such a risk with her. Don't misinterpret my words though... I love Kori... I'm just not in love with her... I couldn't be. I was convinced that she had become this infatuation which would eventually fade. I mean... I should have been prepared for this long ago. I should have known our friendship would eventually lead to intimate feelings... how could I not, she had blossomed into this breathtaking beauty... and instead of taking better precautions where she was involved... I continued my undeniable closeness with her. A closeness in which no one seemed to understand... and now that I actually had feelings for her... it was hard to see how I ever defended our friendship as mere innocence before.

I had spent the passed five days in a hospital with the one person who existed in which I cannot live without. While neither one of us spoke of the kiss I had bestowed upon her... I could see certain instances when the memory was on her mind... the regret weighing heavy on me still. Which... I'm not so certain is regret after all. I didn't know what to say... how do you explain something like this to someone like her? She had spent the entire week at my side, helping me, making sure I was completely comfortable and even then she was constantly trying to get me to reveal a new problem... anything she could do to make me more comfortable. I was fine though... the pain had dulled with time, and yet the conflicted emotions I had for Kori continued to sharpen with each day. I could lie to you if I really wanted, but I can never lie to myself... and I knew every moment with Kori... during the kiss... after the kiss... now... she was nothing short of perfection... she even exceeded any amount of perfection in which I had thought possible in my mind. I knew I had feelings for her before but this... this was new... this was trouble.

Even now, as I sat in anticipation to be discharged from the hospital... I was nervous. I wasn't certain she did have intimate feelings for me... but I wasn't sure that she didn't. During these five days... five days in which, aside from school she had spent every minute with me... every day, every night... sleeping upon the chair beside me, I knew I was selfish with her... and I knew I didn't deserve any amount of love she could give me... not even if it were mere platonic love. Don't get me wrong... just because I didn't view myself to be good enough for her... that didn't mean anyone else was. I kept thinking myself shallow... its obvious I'm not a stranger to physical, intimate actions, and while a part of me wanted this to exist with her... the other half was struggling with the transition of viewing her as someone I was attracted to and not the little girl I had once first met all those years ago.

When we were young she was this goofy, giggling bundle of life that always said the strangest things... she was adorable,... but now... I found I was attracted to her in a not so innocent manner, the reality of these emotions only becoming harder to control. If I were to say this out loud it would sound odd to me... but I can't lie to myself... I cant' say I hadn't caught myself with eyes where they definitely should not have been.

And Kori... it was clear since the accident... since the kiss... that she didn't perceive it as anything more than me trying to win her friendship back. Now, this fact alone I'll admit somewhat upset me, because it only meant that she didn't feel the same as I did when I kissed her... or did she? To be honest ... I could have sworn I caught those eyes looking to me with a hidden passion...although it could merely have been a result of my heavily sedated condition and it only happened a few times, but when it did I had to force myself to look away. And I know what your thinking... if there is reason to believe she has feelings for me then why not go for it? ... because... I'm Dick Grayson... playboy... in truth, the me that could have loved Kori the way she deserved to be loved had vanished a long time ago... I was too late now.

While this realization of her possible feelings for me made me hesitant at first, I had allowed myself to enjoy it in some instances. She was happy,... smiling again, ... that light behind her eyes... it had grown ever more fierce. She didn't give me a hard time when I woke her in the middle of the night just so I could be in her alert presence when I couldn't sleep... and sure, of course I realize this may all sound selfish of me... the thought crossed my mind... but I didn't care. They way she saw it... the way it was before my feelings for her... it was all innocent friendship... and I had to pretend as though nothing had changed since the kiss, and while my feelings for her had deepened... I would never reveal them to her.

In any event, here I sat upon the large hospital bed in which I had hoped I would never have to return to... in my opinion there's nothing more annoying then being confined to the same room, the same bed,... the same boring routine. I checked my phone for the time... Kori was running late... that's unusual. It would be another twenty minutes before that beautiful figure came into sight.

She looked to me with a smile. "Sorry,... I got a little..." she paused stepping to the side, revealing Rachel, Gar, and Vic. "... distracted."

I smiled, and pulled myself to my feet looking to each of them. "It's good to see you all again..." I shrugged. "I admit... its been a while."

It was now that Rachel rolled her eyes. "It's not as though we didn't try to see you..." she paused motioning to Kori. "... we didn't really have a choice. We were told the waiting list had been made selective to two people alone."

"Yea..." Gar added. "Bruce Wayne and Kori Anders."

I noticed Kori blush slightly. "Sorry... I couldn't help it."

Pulling my leather jacket on, with slight difficulty, I paused noticing a mischievous look in Vic's eyes again. I sighed. "Alright... I know that look..." I looked back and forth between him and Gar now. "... what have you two got planned." When they looked to Kori I did as well. "Kor?"

She brought her eyes down moving circles over the tile floor below her, a hand upon her opposite arm in nervousness. "Well... we figured since its Friday night and ... well its a four-day weekend so none of us have to worry about school for a few days..."

"And?"

"And... we made plans to drive to the beach house." She paused. "It sounds... fun, yes?"

I rolled my eyes. "What... like a party?"

Gar grinned back at me now with a shrug. "It's not, not a party."

Rachel sent him an annoyed glare then inhaling deeply, she said, "Are we just going to stand here all day or are we leaving?"

With a nod from me, our group slowly entered the hallway. I looked to Kori and while trying to keep the ever-changing pace of hers, I noticed she seemed hesitant around me. Perhaps this wasn't any different behavior then while she remained in the hospital with me, but now that I was no longer medicated... I could see clearly that she was bothered by something. When we finally reached the lobby Vic, Gar and Rachel stepped out into the day but I pulled Kori to the side. I felt frustration set over me as she avoided my eye contact. Clearing my throat I said, "Is everything alright?"

It was now that she looked to me and smiled... although I could see it was forced. The moment she did I instantly knew what she was feeling... her eyes always sold her out, even when she delivered a brushed off lie to conceal her emotions I could always tell with one look into those green gems. She swallowed hard and I could tell her mind was preparing a lie.

"Yes.. everything is fine..." she faked a smile... which was almost believable but I knew better. "Everything is wonderful... you're finally leaving this place."

I nodded. "Look..."

I fell silent as she dug a hand into her purse. "I actually... I got you something." I didn't speak, merely watching her as she fumbled through her purse, then surfacing a pair of black sunglasses. She extended them out toward me but I hesitated in accepting them. "I got you these... they're the same kind you always wear." She inhaled deeply, and I could tell she was still bothered by my, while healed, yet not entirely healed presence.

"Kori..."

She ignored me and when I refused to accept the glasses she stepped to me and lifted them over my eyes. The emotion that hit me as she smiled up at me sunk me in anger. Not because she had smiled or ignored me but how she smiled... it was fake... again...it wasn't my smile. It was now that I realized that regardless of my apology to her the night of her party... she was still hurt by me and otherwise hesitant... I hated her hesitance, it did nothing more than shatter my once pleasant mood. Everything could be right in the world but when she looked to me this way... everything might have well been a disaster as far as I was concerned.

She stepped back from me with a shrug. "Can't have your admirers seeing you as anything other than your presentable self."

Before I could respond she stepped out of the building, ... me following her, slowly falling behind. In any normal occasion I would be able to force a smile around the photographers that bombarded us, but I was in no mood. As they charge my presence I kept a firm rigid expression.

The drive to the beach house was quick and only as a result of Gar and Vic blasting loud music which made any amount of conversation literally impossible. Which was fine... I'd rather not be distracted as I kept my gaze on Kori, her distant behavior increasing with every minute.

When we stepped into the beach house... Kori's beach house... my concentration broke from Kori to the unnecessary amount of our peers that paraded through the house. Kori and Rachel quickly vanished within the crowd and Vic and Gar made a bee-line for the kitchen. Me... I needed a distraction... so, I did what I do best. I made conversation with the seductive smiles which crowded around me... their sympathy for me and my experience igniting in a wave of whimpers and childlike tones... annoying, but in the end I knew one of these random faces would serve well as my desired distraction.

It would be a few hours before I saw Kori again... and when I did I was not excited in the least. I sat upon the couch, an arm around... well I don't exactly remember her name... I think it started with a 'C'... but anyway... I sat on the couch my lips against this girls' when I first noticed Kori's presence. She stood across the room leaning against one of the beige painted walls in conversation with none other than Xavier Red. Maybe he thought I would be too anxious to get back to my old ways to notice, but his actions... his flirtatious behavior bothered me. That's not to say that I could do anything about it... I had tried that route... you all know how it ended. Kori was still upset with me and I knew if I intervened it would not end well.

I watched her... apparently in complete obviousness because within moments this girl... the one I sat with sent me a glare. I looked to her with a sigh then standing I took her hand, leading her to one of the available rooms.

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I lay beside...uhh, Crystal... yea that was her name. It was the middle of the night and I was restless. Regardless of my 'time' with Crystal my mind was still lingering upon Kori. I looked to my phone for the time... 2:15 am... I smiled. Lifting myself from the bed I quickly dressed,... which by the way had become more frustrating for me then anything with this damn cast still on my right arm.

It was 2:15, and with our past, Kori and I, as confirmation... when we were at the beach I knew exactly where she was at this moment and what she was doing... right down to what she would be wearing. I stumbled passed the few people who had passed out in the hallway and entered the living room,... not surprised when I found plenty of people still partying. I stopped before a large mirror by the back door and ran a hand through my hair until its matted tangles returned to my usual spikes which had easily formed from memory. I stepped out into the chilled night looking to the small hanging bench which hung down from the roof... and there she was... just as I had pictured her.

I hesitated taking in her presence. A smile escaped me as she brushed her long scarlet hair behind her and sighed into the open night. She was a star-gazer... if you weren't already aware of this you could tell by her eager eyes as they burned into the diamond sky. Clearing my throat I said, "May I?"

She looked to my hand which motioned to claim the empty seat beside her. Hesitance... that annoying hesitance made an appearance upon her features again. Without her reply I sat, leaning back upon the bench and sending it into a soft sway. I peered out at the ocean, the waves crashing in the short distance and the smell of the ocean nipping at my senses. I noticed her peek over at me, but as I looked to her she turned back to the beautiful scenery before us.

"Kori..."

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself tonight." She said with, yet another forced smile. "It was nice to see you smiling again."

"Kori..."

She looked to me now, her eyes drifting over my tired eyes. "You look awful..." a small giggle escaped her... this ... this was believable though. To be honest I wasn't even sure she could fake one of those signature giggles of hers. "Did you remember to take your medication?"

"Kori..." she fell silent, her eyes looking to mine knowing perfectly well I was about to willingly enter a conversation of concerned proportions. I sighed. "Is this how it's going to be with us?"

She hesitated, then pulling her left lavender jacket sleeve into her palm, resting the fabric against her cheek she shrugged. "What do you mean..."

"Don't pretend as though you don't know what I'm talking about." I said, gritting my teeth slightly. I didn't understand why she ever tried to pretend as though she was unaware of what I was thinking... I could read her and she could read me... it had always been this way. "Is this the way its going to be between us?"

I heard her inhale deeply. "I don't know... its... complicated."

"It's actually the most simplest thing in the world." I paused placing a hand upon her shoulder. "Look at me..."

As she did her eyes receded into nervousness. "Do you regret it?" My heart jumped involuntarily... "Did you mean what you said ... that day at the party... after Roy had left?"

Inside a wave of relief rushed over me, I was so certain she was asking if I had regretted kissing her... which as much as I wish I had more discipline for myself... no I didn't... I had to experience it at least once... especially if I could never be with her. I lowered my gaze from hers now. "I don't think you want the answer."

She nodded. "That serves as good an answer as any."

I paused lingering my gaze upon her as she deflected the presence of my hand upon hers now. "It's... it's not that easy Kori." I hesitated, my anger taking a moment to step up to the plate... I gritted my teeth. "I apologized... isn't that enough for you? Don't you realize I wasn't trying to hurt you I just... you weren't being yourself that night and..."

She looked to me now with unexpected anger, those gorgeous locks shining in the moonlight as she cocked her gaze to mine unflinching. "I'm not the innocent Kori you knew all those years ago, Dick." It sounds ridiculous, but as she said this all I took note of was that while she was obviously upset, ...she didn't call me Richard. I found a small amount of comfort in this. "I'm not the innocent Kori you even knew two years ago..." she shook her head, her eyes softening now. "... you had to have known that eventually I would start seeing people."

"So this is some sort of revenge because of my actions in this category of behavior."

She rolled her eyes, releasing a heavy sigh as she lowered her head into her hands. "No..." she looked to me again shaking her head. "... I'm just trying to get you to understand that ... I... I'm not a possession... you can't decide who I spend my time with and what choices I make."

I remained silent, these words as they spilled from her sweet lips turned vicious in my mind. If this was how she felt... which despite the fact that I knew she was right... I didn't care.

We lingered in a challenging gaze, each of us trying to read the other, before a small whimper of defeat escaped her. She looked to the sky again.

It was now that I had done the one thing that goes against every one of my protective and defensive feelings for her... I said, "What do you want from me... tell me what I can do to fix this..." I inhaled deeply as she looked to me again. "Kori... your my best friend..."

"...and you are mine..."

I smiled. "I don't want anything to come between us."

Her gaze lowered, and I could tell she was entertaining a small thought. "Can you just promise me nothing like this will happen again? I can forgive the awful things you said if only you make it clear that it wont happen again."

She looked to me with eager eyes anticipating my response. It was me who looked away now. "I can't." I looked to her and before she could object or question me I continued. "I could sit here and make this promise to you but... I can't. There's no telling how brief of a period of time it will be before I break it." I inhaled deeply looking to the ground, not wanting to look her in the eye as I spoke. "I can't sit back and watch you with someone who doesn't deserve you. If you really want to be upset because of it... fine."

There was a deafening silence in which I spent scolding myself... I could have easily lied if I wanted to... but that's just it I didn't want to... not with her.

"Dick,..." I paused looking to her only to find her shaking her head with a held back smile... her true smile. "... do you insist on always being this stubborn?" Before I could reply she moved closer to me, leaning her head upon my shoulder with a heavy sigh. "You knew I'd forgive you... you could have just humored me."

I smiled to myself, placing an arm around her as we spent the rest of the night in a comfortable... healing silence.

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**(Kori Anders' POV)**

A muffled voice surrounded me as morning arrived. I heard it... but not really, its was as if my mind was buffering... unable to wake.

"Dick..."

I felt a shift where I rested my head, but still remained unaffected.

"Dick... can I talk to you?"

It was now that a hand met my arm, it shook me gently trying to wake me, but I would not budge.

"Kori..." I heard Dick's voice call.

I shrugged his arm away burying my eyes from the bright light now. "Five minutes Dick,.. please go away."

"I'm trying to." He said, that amazing laugh following.

I opened my eyes to find a displeased brunette glaring down at me. My eyes narrowed until I realized that Dick and I had fallen asleep upon the bench in each others arms. With a laugh I immediately stood. "Well... this..." I looked to Dick shaking my head with a smile. "...sorry."

He stood, his charming smile focused on me. "Don't worry about it. I just didn't want to leave you here alone." A yawn escaped him, but as the girl pulled on his arm, he released a grunt. "Careful." He turned to walk away then paused lowering his voice to me, his eyes filled with concern. "Are we... are we alright now?"

"Yes... go."

My heart sunk as he turned and tossing an arm around the girl, vanished into the house. I sighed... he was going to be the death of me... I was sure of it. I paused looking out at the view before me. The ocean sparkled back at me instantly bringing a sense of calm to me. You know as well as I do that my feelings for Dick, especially after his accident, only continued to blossom. I sighed again... I realized I had made a habit of this unconsciously. I lifted a hand to shield my eyes from the blazing sun then sat back upon the bench.

I had to be positive... yea... at least I kept telling myself this. My mind kept striving for the light in my situation. Even as I played it all through my thoughts it didn't seem any less stressful... and did I mention unbearable? Sure, I had forgiven Dick, I think we all know it was only a matter of time before I gave in, and while I felt better that I had... it didn't change the fact that the memory of his lips against mine had gone from a dreamy memory to a nightmare. Which... I suppose is fine,... I had made my mind up days ago that Dick and I were never meant to be anything beyond friendship, especially since he didn't feel anything for me ... at least not the way I did for him.

Sigh... sigh... why not add another one just to be dramatic? I was in an unbearable struggle where he was concerned so why not? Why not allow myself to be submerged in self-pity? ... well,... because this wasn't just anyone I had felt an unrequited love for... it was Dick, and there's no way I would make excuses for myself. He deserved better than that from me,... and to be perfectly honest I expected better from myself. I knew just by forgiving him that I was in for a world of discomfort and awkward scenarios, for me, not him, especially with his new accessory... the brunette. I would have to endure his usual behavior around me and pretend as though it did not stir up feelings in me, and I would have to pretend as though the kiss which was nothing short of amazing to me... was nothing more then another one of his questionable displays of friendly affection for me... which was all that it really was. Obviously I know it sounds a little hard to believe, but then again this was Dick... he had always been more affection with me then the average best friend. Sigh...

"Son of a bitch!"

I turned, narrow eyed to find Rachel stumble out of the house, a cigarette and lighter in hand. "What are you doing?"

She looked to me with a sigh of annoyance. "Is it really all that hard to figure out?"

I paused as she struggled with the lighter which refused to spark. I stood. "Rachel... you don't smoke."

She looked to me now with a scowl. "Thanks for the update."

I rolled my eyes, she was never a morning person but this was... different... a little excessive considering we were vacationing at the beach. I inhaled deeply as her hands shook in frustration. I couldn't understand why she was... I paused, my eyes going wide. I quickly lifted my phone to my vision for the date. I froze... I had been so caught up in my issues with Richard that I had completely separated myself from the rest of the world... the rest of my friends... Rachel in particular.

I inhaled deeply, stepping toward her with caring eyes. "This is about your father... isn't it?"

She lowered the lighter, which was clearly broken, and released a sarcastic laugh. "If that's what you would call him. The fucking pathetic bastard."

I paused, choosing my words careful, knowing perfectly well this was a sensitive situation for her. One wrong word and she would go over the edge. I brushed a bang from my face and sighed. "You know... if you need to talk or..."

"I don't want your sympathy Kori." She chucked the lighter to the floor with a growl, her matted violet hair bouncing at the action.

"What do you want?"

Her eyes narrowed on mine now, her words stabbing at my existence. "I would love it if you just stopped talking."

I hesitated, having made up my mind to leave her to herself, then paused. I could tell she was quickly becoming frustrated by my presence, but I ignored it, stepping passed her. I could feel her glare on me now as I lowered myself to the brick wall which was the base of the chimney. Removing one of the, thought to be stationary, bricks I surfaced a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Turning to her I handed both of them over.

Her eyes narrowed at me, and I shrugged. "Komi."

She nodded, sparking the cigarette without hesitation. She exhaled slowly and I could see her stress being released, which from what I understand smoking isn't the reason for, but if it made her feel as though she could relax... then fine, by all means. She paused now, looking to me. She held the cigarette out towards me.

"No..." I shook my head. "I don't smoke."

She laughed, taking another drag. "Yea,... neither do I." She paused as we both remained silent, then she said, "I thought you might need some relaxation too." As my eyes narrowed, she rolled her eyes in response. "Don't even try Kori." She exhaled again, the smoke clinging to my throat bitterly. "You don't fool me. " We looked to each other now. "You can't sit there and tell me seeing Dick run off with the first girl he sees out of the hospital doesn't just piss you off."

"It doesn't. He can do what he wants."

She laughed. "Alright."

Surely you can understand my perspective,... I mean, sure, I wasn't thrilled to see him back at his old games again, but I wasn't surprised... it was expected. And it's not that it angered me, more that it... I don't know... I guess it effected me in more subtle way. I wasn't pissed off like Rachel assumed, no, I was focused on dealing with this in an entirely different method of coping... I was more accustomed to the suffer in silence type.

But this... this moment... it wasn't about me, it wasn't about Dick,... it wasn't about anyone other than Rachel. I knew she was trying to change the subject and yet while on a normal occasion I would see nothing wrong in it... I knew she needed to deal with the issue of her father. You see,... we all had our upsetting pasts, but Rachel... her was a darker, more violent collection of haunting memories that consumed her, you might even argue it was the reason for her behavior.

When she was just a child her father was happily married, that's not to say he didn't stand far too closely to the border of strange behavior. I always knew there was something strange about him, his behavior was... odd, and while I didn't take into consideration more closely as to his logic and demeanor, it would be brought to full focus when Rachel's mother was caught cheating. I wasn't there the day he snapped, and when he did... Rachel was alone. Now, Rachel isn't exactly one to dive into details about her past... or about anything really, no, the only reason I was aware of any of what really happened that day is because of the media... once again.

Apparently, when Rachel's mother betrayal was discovered, her father went ballistic. He... now this is disturbing so here's a fair warning now... he murdered his wife. Strangled her to death. What's even worse... he didn't even try to hide the body, he was proud of his actions and before setting fire to her corpse,... he took a picture of her lying there lifeless. These pictures, of course, were not released to the public, not that there wasn't an attempt to fully breach the privacy of Rachel's life. The reason I am aware of them was because I had over heard Rachel in one of her brief tantrums babble off a few facts. And while I realize this entire scenario was already frightening... it gets worse.

Once the bloodshed of her mother had come to an end, her father's anger had turned to her... as I said, he just snapped. What ever happened to be holding this man's already questionable mind together... it had disintegrated, leaving his psychotic, violent logic focused solely on Rachel. She was alone... all alone now, and when he went after her... she didn't expect what was to occur.

Rachel,... while I had known her for no more than a year before this happened, she was different. Not entirely, but she seemed happy,... now, ... and don't misunderstand me, I completely accept who she is... she has survived something I, myself, do not think I would be strong enough to endure, ... but now she was guarded... heavily guarded. She hadn't made any friends beyond our small group which was already formed. I mean, to be accurate, it was me, Rachel, Dick, and Vic,... Gar had come along a few years later, which might shed light to the reason why she is so easily tempered by him. The fact being, she didn't want additional friends, she was content with who she had, and while she didn't despise people... she just would rather not try. She didn't mind hanging out with other people just as long as they didn't try to get to know her... she wasn't good at bonding, she simply wasn't interested... she didn't trust people easily. I mean, she and I had bonded and still she was reserved around me.

Anyway, her father had gone after her... of course she ran, she hid, she did everything she could to escape him... but he eventually found her. Let me just point out, she was only the young age of eight when this all occurred. It was said... by this I mean by the media... that she, Rachel, had hidden for several hours and truly thought her father had left the house. She ran to the phone and immediately called the police, but not before witnessing the burnt corpse of her mother coming to a dimmed flame. Believe me, I realize this is all very disturbing, but I'm merely trying to let you in on who and why Rachel was the way she is.

The reports stated that by the time she hung up with the police that she turned to face her father... who was drunk at this point. She ran and he chased her, knife at hand. I wont go into too much detail about this part because honestly it sickens me, but all you need to know is that in the end Rachel had managed to position herself with a gun at hand. She shot her father in the chest... obviously he didn't die... no he was rotting in prison. So why... do you ask is all this just now coming up... her excessively edgy behavior and even shorter temper then normal? ... Because, while her father remained in prison all these years, he had vowed to escape and get his revenge on her. He said he was counting the days until he could force the life from her eyes and smile as she faded into darkness. It was this weekend in particular that he was being transferred to a different prison, further away, but Rachel always became nervous when something like this would take place, and I didn't blame her. These were the last words he ever said to her and they stuck with her, why wouldn't they... I was afraid of them and they weren't even directed at me.

The most terrifying thing about all of this... her father, when taken into custody willingly offered every detail of this information up to the police and the media with a sick sense of pride in his actions. Rachel... she was taken by child protective services and didn't speak for months... even when she was questioned about her fathers actions all she did was nod. When I asked her if what her father claimed to have happened held any truth, she just nodded and said 'Every word'.

So if you were asking yourself before, why I was so calm in a moment like this, when she is seething in rage and very on edge... it's because I knew better to take anything she said personally. She could call me anything she wanted, ... she could say the most hurtful things to me... and I didn't take any of it seriously. Be honest... knowing what she's been through, what she's survived... would you? After all these years I knew she never meant the horrible things she said or the way she treated me at a time like this and I never took offense... it just drew more concern for her because it only meant she was on edge. And when this all happened the first time, when her father was initially placed in jail.. and she was alone,... Vic, Dick and I, ... we banded together and fought for her to return to us. It wasn't easy and there were moments of doubt,... but here she was... she was Rachel,... a deeply effected Rachel... but she was still her deep down.

Which of course is why I felt so horrible right now because I had been so consumed in my own life that I had dismissed this very detail about her father being moved to a different prison, knowing perfectly well that she would begin her spiral downward... yet again. This wasn't the first time this had happened, and I'm certain it wont be the last. I inhaled deeply,... knowing nothing good could come from her behavior... it would be a struggle... just like before.

I looked to her now, she was sporting a scowl, the cigarette having burned to the filter. I swallowed hard asking a question I already knew the answer to. "Are you scared?"

She looked to me and I immediately regretted having asked the question. She stood. "Are you fucking crazy? Being scared is the last thing on my mind." She laughed turning to the ocean view now shaking her head in irritation at even me suggesting such a thing. "Let that mother fucker show his face to me... I'll finish what I started those nine years ago." She turned back to me with confidence... a frightening amount of confidence, as if she was partly looking forward to the chance to end his life. "There's no room in this world for fear Kori." She flicked the extinguished cigarette bud on the ground before me. "The sooner you understand that... the better."

"Hey Rae..." I heard Gar call from behind us.

As Rachel walked passed him, ignoring him entirely he looked to me. "What'd I do?"

I sighed. "We need to talk." I stood, a hand upon my waist. "All of us."


	11. When Sunlight Dies

**(A/N : Warning... this is a long chapter ... so get comfortable and enjoy =])**

Chapter 11: **When Sunlight Dies**

**(Kori Anders POV)**

"Oh no..." Gar said, his brows narrowing in a more upset manner then I had ever seen in him before. He shook his head, pacing before me slightly. "This can't be good. Poor Rae."

This was his reply as I finished explaining to him the severity of the situation we were in where Rachel was concerned. I sighed. "You get Vic... I'll go..." I fell silent as he took to the hallway with a brief nod, his body slouching in sadness.

As the room fell silent I flinched at the sound of a loud snore which invaded the air around me. I turned to find a guy asleep still on the couch... why I hadn't noticed him before, I'm not sure, but his presence injected irritation within me now. As another snore rang in my ears I stepped into the hallway.

Reaching Dick's bedroom door I placed a hand on the doorknob, opening the door slowly. "Dick we have a prob..." My eyes widened, Dick stood alone in the room, a white towel wrapped around his waist, his glistening chest on display before me. I swallowed hard... of course I would catch him jumping out of the shower... standing there in utter perfection. "...lem..."

He looked to me casually, lifting a small beige towel to his drenched black hair. "What's up?"

I cleared my throat, drawing my attention strictly to his face... which didn't help either... he looked to me with those baby blues so calmly as if nothing were out of place,... his casual behavior in the situation drew further frustration in me. Its not as though I had never seen him shirtless but this moment seemed very vivid to me as my eyes involuntarily trailed over his appearance. "Nothing..." His eyes narrowed... great, if I wasn't being obvious enough already that I was nervous in this moment my stammering didn't exactly help the situation. "No... I mean... yes... there is..." He stepped closer to me with a confused expression. Dammit... why couldn't I remember why I had sought him out in the first place? I lifted a hand to my forehead. "I'll ... ummm... just..." I sighed...then releasing an embarrassed giggle, I took a step back. "I'll give you time to get dressed."

As I turned to walk away his suave voice brought me to an undesired halt.

"Wait..." he said. I looked back to him as he lowered the towel from his hair discarding it on the dresser beside him. He shrugged. "Whats wrong?"

I lowered my gaze to the floor, ... then it hit me. I cleared my throat. "It's Rachel."

"Is she alright?"

"Dick..." I heard a female voice sound from within the linked bathroom to his room.

He ignored the sound and looked to me laughed. "What?... we just showered."

I nodded with a laugh. "Sure."

He shrugged. "Anyway..."

"Dick!" THe voice sounded again.

"Give me a minute!" Dick shouted, then turned to me. "... I don't know about this one Kor." He rolled his eyes and leaned his back into the door frame. "She nags."

Inhaling deeply my eyes lowered to the floor. "Dick this is serious... Rachel..." I paused lowering my voice... merely because I wasn't sure where Rachel was lurking and would have preferred her not overhear our conversation. "... this is a very important time for her." His eyes narrowed. "Important... family matters need to be..."

His eyes widened and he lifted a hand to his forehead. "Was that this weekend?" I nodded, drawing a sigh from him. "Alright... I'll be right there... make sure Vic and Gar are..."

"They're already ready..." I paused, displaying a childlike smile. "... we're just waiting on you Mr. Grayson."

He smiled. "Alright give me one sec."

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We all sat in the kitchen now, aside from Rachel of course, ... it wasn't noon yet and our day had been shocked into a hectic moment.

"So what's our move?" Vic asked as he leaned forward on the aisle counter top.

Everyone looked to me and I felt the stress of their anticipation in my response heavy upon my shoulders. I tapped my finger nails nervously upon the counter then paused. "We should... no,..." I shook my head. "Maybe if we..." I sighed heavily. "I don't know. She just needs to know that we're here for her."

"She already knows that we're here for her... she doesn't want us bothering her... that's the issue here."

I looked to Dick as he said this with a raised brow. "No, she needs us to be here for her. She needs..."

"No..." Dick said with a chuckle. "Trust me, I know Rachel... if we went out of our way to show even the slightest amount of sympathy for her..." he hesitated,... a frustrated sigh escaping him. "She needs quiet... she needs time to herself... it's what she would want."

"This isn't about what she wants, Dick." I said placing a hand upon my waist and turning my body toward his. I ignored the emotion that erupted in me as his brow raised. "... this is about her needing to get away with the ones who love her and are here for her. "My eyes scanned over the three of them now. "...us... not all these random people who are only here for a good time."

"Yea but..." Dick began...

My eyes narrowed. "I'm not saying we need to hover over her but..." I sighed. "I think we all remember what happened last time we left her alone during a time like this."

So I'm gonna take this moment to pause and let you in on exactly what I mean by this. Now, this was years ago... but its memory was burned in the back of my mind...all our minds in fact... and I think it always will be.

It was the anniversary of ... well... the incident, and Rachel had begun the day just as she did this morning. She was frazzled, irritable... well I don't see why I even try to be subtle, the fact was, she was down right pissed off,... a lot like this morning. Which... to be honest she had shone some sort of lenience in my presence but I would not allow that to distract myself from the reality of what dark thoughts... fears... anything that was swimming around her mind today. Why? ... because I knew she was seething... trying to hold back her anger as best she could and eventually... before this weekend would end... I knew she'd go over the edge.

While she denied her fear of her father... I knew it wasn't really the case. She was terrified of him, ... I was terrified of him... but more importantly, I was scared for her. It's not as though she had asked for this life... none of us did, none of you did either... whether we are blessed with a fabulous life... or one like hers... no one can choose the life they're born into. And... while she didn't deserve to have to have gone through what she did... she was alive... she had survived, and as much as she puts on this front that she is stronger than to be afraid ... and most of the time she was... but everyone has their moments of weakness, and this was hers.

Side tracked again... sorry... the point I'm trying to make is that Rachel was brimming in anger and fear right now. Fear for her father and anger... well, anger, I believed was a result of her herself. It had become clear to me in several instances that she was angry with herself for being vulnerable to this fear... and she knew she couldn't change the facts, and no matter the amount of times she scolded herself to deny this fear... it was real. And in the end... those few years ago when the anniversary of her mother's death... her fathers slip into insanity... she folded under the pressure. To get straight to the point... she had delved head first into the life of drugs to numb her pain. It wasn't as though she was ever proud of herself for this moment of her past which she referred to as her weak point,... she had overdosed on cocaine and almost died. Dick found her passed out in the bathroom, a pool of blood and another unknown substance streaming from her dulling lips. In the end she was fine and didn't result to such behavior again but the fact that there was ever a moment when she believed turning to drugs was a solution merely proved how lost she was when it came to her father. Who wouldn't be? The point being... that couldn't happen again... I refused to let her slip into these old habits and while she remained firm in the fact that she wouldn't... that didn't mean she was being honest with herself.

"I still think we should..." Dick began.

"Look, " Vic interrupted. "... regardless of what we do we need to make sure Rae needs to know we're here for her and at the same time..." he shrugged looking to Dick. "... Kori's right. We can't have her spiral too out of control. We need to keep this contained."

"Whats going on in here." A loud cheer rang from three of our peers which had finally awoke to the day.

My eyes narrowed. "You all need to leave. You shouldn't' be here. We... something came up and we need the house to clear out."

"It's a beach party weekend. You can't just.."

"You heard her." Dick's voice sound firmly behind me and I felt his arm wrap around me as he sent a glare to them. I rolled my eyes as the faces slowly began to file out of the house, Rachel stepping out with a raised brow at the scene.

She looked to us with gritted teeth. "I know what you guys are trying to do and I'm only going to say this once..." She stepped to the door. "...Don't!"

"Rachel just hear us out..." I pleaded.

She turned back to me with unflinching wide eyes. "I just need to be alone Kori..." I tried to interrupt her then she stepped to me, staring down at me with hatred. "I don't need you hovering over me!"

She opened her mouth to direct more anger toward me but fell silent as Dick stepped to her, placing a hand upon her arm. "Alright... that's enough, lets just all calm down." He released a sigh as she looked to him with a laugh.

"Of course your here to ..."

"Enough... come on Rae." Gar said, stepping toward her now, her demeanor pausing from anger. I watched with a keen eye as she stared into Gar's concerned green eyes. We all remained silent as she stepped toward the hallway now. I knew she was trying to hold back her anger but I knew her breaking point couldn't be too far away. I turned to Dick with a sigh. He looked down at me with comforting eyes ... and then my phone rang... drenching my stressed complexion further.

I lifted a finger to Dick as I answered the phone. "Hello... mom? What's wrong?"

The room fell silent, all eyes focused on me now as I began to slip further into panic. Apparently Komi .. from what my mother confirmed... had never went to live with her as she had told me. She never showed at her court date and was missing. My mother asked me to come to her office... no not in town, that would be far too easy... she wanted me to meet her in New York.

"Alright... don't worry about it. I'll... "I paused looking to Dick, he shrugged in confusion as to what was going on. Turning away from him I sighed. "...I'll make sure of it. Just... don't worry mom, I'll take care of it. ...Alright... yes... ok... bye."

I ended the call and released a heavy sigh. This day was proving to be more of a struggle than anticipated. I may have fixed things with Dick but it seemed as though everything else was falling apart.

"What's wrong?"

I turned to Dick again but hesitated as the strange brunette surface from behind him, her flirtatious eyes locking onto his. Shaking my head I said, "You know what... it's nothing. Komi... she just... she ran away. Missed her court date and now my mom wants me to..." I paused as the girl was taken into his arms with a kiss to the forehead. I felt my insides tighten in discomfort. Sure, I had convinced myself that I could endure the pain of seeing Dick with yet another girlfriend, it's not as though it would be the first... nor the last... and yet, with everything going on with Rachel, and Komi, and now my mother... I needed space. I forced a smile. "Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure?" He asked me between breaths as he kissed at the girls cheek.

I hated the way he looked to her... that gaze was teasing at her, and it ... well, it made me jealous... and I hated that it did.

He paused from the girl whose hand was in his and he looked to me. "Rachel's going to be fine alright." He kissed me gently upon the forehead, drawing a glare from the girl whose eyes stabbed at mine now. "Trust me."

The room fell into a gloomy depressed vibe as he vanished to his room again... let me just say, when ever he left the room, no matter my mood, ... everything seemed a little less vibrant.

"You alright?" I heard Vic say. He placed a strong-arm around me in a slight shake of a hug.

I forced a smile. "I don't know... yes... I... I'm just sad... for my sister, for Rachel..." I paused, as a thought hit me... "That's it." I said as if all my stress had been devoured by a small realization. I looked to Vic and Gar now who stared at me awkwardly. I smiled. "I have an idea."

Vic hesitated. "I don't know. If this is about Rachel ... maybe Dick's right ... maybe we should just give her her space."

I inhaled deeply. "No... trust me, this will work. I have to be in New York, my mother needs my help. Apparently some trouble occurred and aside from Komi running away, her work is dealing with an issue she needs my assistance on." I smiled stepping back into the hallway, backward. "I'm gonna take Rachel with me. She needs to get out of this town." My mind wandered to Dick and the activity he was sure to be involved in... "Matter of fact... I think I could use a few days away from this town too."

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New York... in all its splendor, stared back at me through the window of my mothers office. I had managed to convince Rachel to accompany on this trip... which surprisingly wasn't as difficult as I had originally anticipated. In fact, she seemed more then eager to escape our town. The flight there was silent... and I mean silent. Rachel faded into her world of thoughts, plugging her earphones into her ears and drowning out the world around her. She remained there quiet, unmoving the entire trip... which, while six hours in one position drove me out of my mind, Rachel seemed perfectly content... her mind meditating without a single break.

I let out yet another sigh as I looked down at the massive stack of paperwork before me. According to my mother's assistant, my mother was too busy to have actually addressed me herself, a contract was breached and sitting...somewhere, where ever they were, was a group of furious lawyers breathing down her neck. My mind kept wandering to Dick though... while six hours isn't that long amount of time... I had done nothing to mention my disappearance to him. I felt guilt for not telling him but I knew he would have just found a way to come with me and to be honest... after spending a week in the hospital with him... I needed a few days away from him and his charm which had vexed me so.

My phone rang pulling me out of my continuous thoughts.

"Rachel? Is something wrong?" I asked, answering it immediately.

Her voice replied in a frustrated tone. "Would you just answer your phone?"

I hesitated, "I did... is this not the first time you've called me?"

"Yea, it is,... but I swear if Dick calls me one more time asking where you are or why you're ignoring his calls I'm going to snap. Just... call him back."

Before I could reply she hung up. And yea... I guess I didn't mention it before, but from the moment I turned my phone back on after the flight, Dick had been trying to get a hold of me... I'm not sure why I avoided his calls, I wasn't upset with him... I don't know,... well actually, I guess I do... with all the stress I was in right now I just didn't need to hear his haunting voice showering concern for my disappearance or his anger that I had not given him the opportunity to join me in New York. I needed to be focused. I had to finish this work... well its illogical to even assume I could finish the amount needed by today, or even by tomorrow, but I needed to keep an eye on Rachel still... as a result... my mind was on the fritz.

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**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

I looked to Crystal... she remained silent beside me upon the bed. My eyes trailed over her thick brown locks which danced over her in a frenzy of curls... and I sighed. Sure I did enjoy my time with her... to be honest who wouldn't, regardless... I was still focused on Kori. I couldn't help it and I'm certain it's becoming quite a nuisance for me to continue to babble on about her and how amzin... forget it. The point is she and I had come to an understanding... she wasn't upset with me, or hurt by me any longer, and while I was relieved... I still hadn't spent much time with her since we left the hospital... and if it's not obvious.. it bothered me.

I glanced around the room drawing attention to my surroundings... hoping to distract my mind from Kori... but I knew I wouldn't be able to hold back much longer... I wanted to be around her right now. I paused glancing to Crystal once more, her eyes flickered before me, her lips parting in a smile. It sounds sad,... but I wasn't enticed by her at the moment. I stood quickly dressing and ignoring her questions as to where I was going, and made my way back to the living room. I rolled my eyes,... there they were, Gar and Vic, in a heated argument as they shifted crazily upon the couch, their eyes in a unblkinging gaze upon the television screen. I'm not sure what video game they were playing but I knew better than to interrupt.

I made my way to Kori's room and finding it empty, receded to Rachel's... empty also. I rolled my eyes,... Kori always went out of her way to ensure everyone was alright, especially Rachel. I knew Rachel was probably fighting to remove herself from kori's presence at the moment... and just as likely, that Kori was hovering over her to coax Rachel into pouring out her emotions in a heartfelt discussion... which, I think we all know is unlikely for Rachel to do, and while Kori knew this... she insisted regardless of the lashing of violent words Rachel would deliver her in response.

Now, when I found both rooms empty I immediately returned to the living room lowering myself on the couch with a sigh. I watched the two children play their video games in a riot of weak let downs and confident comebacks. I could feel my eyelids slowly begin to become heavier, and just as I was about to fall asleep I heard the television shut off.

"Do you think they arrived there yet?" Gar asked, I could hear his voice rise in an echo as they entered the kitchen.

"No... it takes longer then three hours to get to New York... think about it." Came Vic's voice.

I didn't really pay too much attention to their conversation, digging my phone from my pocket and calling Kori. When she didn't answer I hesitated... if she was with Rachel and not answering her phone... there could be a number of things having gone wrong. I redialed her number... same response... nothing. I was becoming frustrated now, but came to a pause as I heard Vic call to me. I turned to my side upon the couch to view him.

"IF your calling Kori... she wont answer."

My eyes narrowed, then standing I joined them in the kitchen, posting myself upon one of the bar stool which lingered before the counter. "And why not?"

Suspicion set in further as the two exchanged awkward glances. I'm assuming my anger was very obvious for Gar released a nervous chuckle into the air, to lighten the mood. "Dude... how could she not have told you of all people?"

"Rachel's gone too so I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume they're together?" I said, becoming ever more frustrated at their inability to answer a simple question clearly. I knew it was because neither one wanted to be the one to have to tell me but ... I still needed to know.

"Uh... yea..." Vic said. I sent him a glare of impatience and he sighed. "Look... Rachel and Kor are in New York." My eyes narrowed pausing as he fell silent, looking to his phone for the time. "Actually they should be arriving there in a few hours."

"Yea... Kori's mom called saying she needs her there... something about Komi..." Gar added.

"...and work."

"And she took Rachel to get her out-of-town for a while."

I rolled my eyes. "What do you mean for a while? ..." I stood. "This isn't like Kori to just disappear... I mean, she told both of you but not me?"

They exchanged nervous glances to which I brushed off and made my way back to my room. I lay back upon the bed for a long while, Crystal remained beside me in silence, I knew she could tell I was in no mood to talk. It would be a few hours of silence before I called Kori again... after all I had to wait until her plan landed and she got settled before I could call her with my words of frustration for her. Her not telling me she was leaving only confused me... I thought she and I were back to normal... but this was definitely not a Kori move... especially when I was residing in the room down from her in the hallway. It would have taken all of five minutes to at least tell me she was leaving the state... I paused... the realization of me being clingy set in. I cringed, it's not as though I enjoyed this over-protectiveness I had for Kori... but it just didn't stop.

It would be ten o'clock before she would decide to return any of my calls. I remained leaned back against the headboard of the bed, in a heated lip lock with Crystal who sat upon my lap. I was frustrated with Kori and this seemed like the best way to get her off my mind... what can I say... it was working. I had given up on her calling me for the night. I knew she would be tired from the work her mom had for her and an argument with me was the last thing she would need, so I opted to hold back my persistent thoughts until tomorrow... then I heard it.

My phone rang, ... I was gonna be pissed if it was anyone other than Kori.

"Ignore it." Crystal said running her hands through my hair as I pulled away from her.

Ignoring her I stretched my left arm to the end table where my phone sat... Crystal still clawing at my hair and trying to bring my face back to hers. I smiled as I stared down at the picture of Kori which flashed across my phone screen. I immediately answered it, ignoring the kisses being sent along my neck from an eager Crystal.

"Kori... where have you been?" I asked. I knew I sounded far less angry than I actually was but I had been anticipating the sound of her voice for so long that when it called back to me I was far more than thrilled.

"Hey Dick..." she paused, and I immediately sensed a fragment of annoyance in her voice. "Look, I'm sure your upset but I... I didn't tell you because I needed this time to be with Rachel. She needs us in this..."

"Are you alright?" I interrupted, I was not the least bit interested in arguing with her. "What's taken this long to call me back?"

There was another silence from her... I hated these silences, even though she had said she and I were fine, it was times like these that made me think otherwise.

"I just... I've been busy. My mom has a ton of paperwork she needs to be dealt with. Oh, and ... if she's not in enough trouble... Komi is missing. She missed her court date..." As she began to ramble I could tell she was feeling far more stressed out then she would have liked me to know. I paused looking to Crystal and motioning her to remove herself from my lap. "..which means she is going to be arrested again, once she's found, not to mention the fines she will be accumulating each day she is on the run..." I gave Kori a brief 'really?' but my mind was drifting to Crystal who refused to move away from me. She was tugging at my belt now in a seductive manner as her lips danced playfully on my neck still. "And if all of this isn't enough stress..." Kori continued. "... my mother has a set of lawyers breathing down her neck about the contract that was breached and..." she released an adorable whimper of frustration. "... I just... I should be focused on Rachel right now. I just... I'm feeling a little overwhelmed at the moment." I pushed Crystals hand away from my waist and mouthed words of annoyance asking her to move once again. It wasn't until Kori spoke again that my full attention snapped solely on her, Crystal fading. "I actually wish you were here. I could really use some help out here."

My ears sparked as she said this and I immediately lifted myself from the bed, leaving Crystal disappointed as I pushed her slightly to the side,... come on it's not like she got hurt... she just... she wouldn't listen. I grunted slightly as my cast hit back against the headboard.

"Are you alright?" Kori asked, but before I could reply she released a heavy sigh. "Please don't tell me you're in the middle of..."

"No..." I laughed, stepping out of the room and into the hallway. "No... I'm not. So... what were you saying?"

She sighed again. "I just... I don't know what to do Dick. I feel really lost here. How am I suppose to help my mom, find Komi, help Rachel... and..."

"Kori... calm down. Your fine, trust me. You can handle this... and... to be honest I think you're doing too much. Komi will be found eventually so don't let that stress you out. As far as your mom,... do what you can... she can't ask anymore then that." I found myself running a hand through my hair with a slight shutter that erupted through my body as she released another whimper of frustration... the sound even more enticing as it was breathed into my ear. I cleared my throat. "Look... if you want I can..."

"No..." she said, instantly draining me of any amount of feelings I was drowning in from the sound of her mere voice. "... I ... I admit it would be easier if you were here... and ... to be honest I really do want you here but... I'll be home in a few days so there's really no need to trouble yourself."

I paused noticing my reflection in the mirror on the wall across from me... my mind flashed in panic... I was smiling... blushing... damn this was bad. I cleared my throat. "Yea... ummm... you know what your right. It's only a few days right?"

"Yea."

I inhaled deeply. "Alright well... answer your phone if I call you again. Its bad enough you left without any warning."

"I know Dick... I know. I'll answer if I can alright?" She said guiltily.

I felt a slight tension in my chest as I hesitated. I knew the question I wanted to ask... but I wasn't sure I wanted to hear the answer. I swallowed hard. "So... why is it you left without telling me? I thought you said you and I were fine."

"We are." She answered quickly. "I just... I don't know... I thought you were busy... I knew you were in the room with that girl and I didn't want to interrupt."

"That's not exactly a good excuse Kori. You should have told me... I was sitting around for forever trying to get a hold you and irritated when you didn't reply." I paused. "Besides... you should now better than to feel as though there's ever a time you can't come to me."

"Don't get so offended I didn't mean it that way I just... you were with..."

"It doesn't matter who I'm with... you know you're more important to me then any of the girls I've ever been with." As I said this... I felt my face run hot... her silence didn't help either. I mean obviously this was true... I knew it... she knew it... but the way I had said it this time around it seemed more meaningful, instantly drawing me into my thoughts,scolding myself. I wanted to seem more reserved with my feelings for Kori... not broadcast them in her ear. I forced a laugh. "Look... just forget it alright. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay."

I hung the phone up with a sigh... great... not only was I not looking forward to her being gone for even one day let alone her estimated 'few'... but I was upset with myself for losing control around her again. It may not have been obvious to her... but I was well aware.

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**(Kori Anders' POV)**

"So you finally called him?" Rachel said, surfacing out of her dark room.

I forced a closed mouthed smile accompanied with a brief nod. I paused as she sat beside me. It was now that I noticed her attire. She wasn't in her usual clothing... she wore a pair of dark jean shorts and a black band shirt... I'm not sure which one, my mind was focused more on the fact that she looked as though she was headed somewhere.

"Where... I mean... it looks like you have plans to leave?"

My eyes narrowed as her lips curled upward slightly. I tilted my head to the side in confusion,... it wasn't a smile of happiness, no, it was more of a sinister grin which would obviously imply she was up to no good.

"I figured I'd go for a walk... there's this old, abandoned warehouse that got turned into a club and..."

"A club? Rachel you don't go to clubs..."

Her glare returned now. "Is there any reason I would have to explain myself to you?" She lifted a small shoulder purse to her side... the act alone actually freaked me out... Rachel didn't go to clubs but she definitely didn't add purses to her attire.

"I don't think you should go. The sun has already gone down, and it's not safe for you to be wandering New York at night alone."

"Who says I'll be alone?" She said stepping to the door. She paused turning to me and brushing her violet hair behind her left ear. "Are you coming or not?"

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The walk wasn't far and it wasn't that I at all minded the silence between us as we slowly made our way to this club... it was the strange eyes that poked out from the windows of the sketchy neighborhood we had entered. I was exhausted from the flight and from the work I did at my mother's office earlier... knowing I was nowhere near completion brought me into further stress. I forced a smile when she looked to me in suspicion of my obvious nervousness.

"Here it is."

I looked up at the building and my eyes went wide. It was exactly as she had said, an abandoned warehouse,... I couldn't help but hope that the inside was in far better condition then its outside appearance... which was awfully decrepit. "Are you sure this is..." I fell silent as two guys exited the door to our left, slurring and falling over themselves. I sighed. "This seems..."

"Are you scared?" She asked, a smile on her face now.

I immediately shook my head, entering behind her in a cower as the loud music and blinding lights surged all around us. It was a dark... very dark building inside and out... the people slothed around the club in a haze.

We were there a good twenty minutes before I saw Rachel bend over the counter top, a rolled up dollar bill against her nose as she snorted a rail of white substance.

"What are you doing?" I shouted over the loud music and conversation.

She looked to me, standing upright now and running a finger passed the bottom of her nose... her eyes shut momentarily. "Nothing you need to be concerned about."

"Rachel..."

"Look, I didn't bring you along to play mommy... just... try to enjoy yourself."

I was angry now. "Look... this isn't you Rachel. We've been through this before and...what you're doing... how your dressing..."

"Your right... it isn't me..." she said sniffling against her coated nose. "This mere fact alone should prove that I'm just trying to loosen up a little bit. I'm fine Kori... trust me."

"No..." I said taking her hand, she swayed briefly before me. I knew I was on rough ground before but now I had guaranteed she would go off on me. "We're going home... now."

She glared at me for a moment then smiled. "You go. I'll be there soon."

"But.."

"Just go Kori." My eyes receded into fear as she gritted her teeth, straightening her posture, towering over me. "Can't you see that I don't want you here?" I paused swallowing hard as her eyes rolled back slightly in her head and she shuttered with a wave calm... I'm assuming from the said white substance now taking effect. "Why don't you just go call and complain to Dick about all this... make him deal with your obnoxious attitude."

I swallowed hard. I knew she didn't mean it but with all the stress I was under I wanted nothing more than to do exactly as she suggested.

"Go!" She yelled back at me once more.

I swallowed hard, lacing my purse over my shoulder and heading for the door. I didn't want to leave her but I realized there was no way I would get her our of there... besides she said she would be right with me so... I continued out of the bitter smelling building, my mind thinking of Richard once again. I find that I'm always putting myself in this position. I don't want to be around him because I feel awkward when he openly shows affection to other women, ... which wasn't his fault, ... but now I had once again separated myself from him and all I wanted was for him to be here.

I stepped out into the dark night in a less than pleased mood. I looked at my surroundings trying to retrace my steps to find the way back to the hotel. I was muttering to myself as I walked along the cold sidewalk... chills sparked down my spine as a bird flew past me, causing me to jump. It seemed far too quiet for New York... my nerves were ignited again as I could have sworn I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to find nothing but the empty sidewalk, and yet this made no difference for the feeling of fear that consumed me.

I quickened my movement, my breath becoming slightly more strained... and within a few minutes I paused... I had no idea where I was. I swallowed hard glancing around frantically as the footsteps sounded again.

"Rachel?" I called out... nothing... an eerie feeling setting over me.

My heart was racing now... and what was worse... for all I knew this all could have been my mind messing with my stressed thoughts. There could easily have been nothing following me... but I couldn't stop myself from being scared at the sound of every little thing... a car zooming past me... a person slamming their window shut in the tall building I walked passed... and then it hit me... Bruce was staying in town. I wasn't sure if he had left by now but it wouldn't hurt to call him.

I paused stepping around a dark corner and leaning back against the wall and lifted the phone to my ear. It took forever to ring,... again... my mind creating things... and then I heard his tired voice answer.

"Kori? ... is everything all right?"

My voice was shaky as I answered in a whisper. "Bruce... are you... are you still in New York?"

His hesitation gave my mind another opportunity to strike fear in me... I could have sworn I saw a shadow move toward me in the distance.

"Yes Kori. Your mother told me you were in town... do you need something? You sound..."

My eyes widened as a gruff looking man stepped out from within the shadows.

"Kori..." I heard Bruce say again.

The man looked to me with a smile. "I know you... you're that Kori Anders."

Bruce had fallen silent on the other line now, I'm assuming listening to what was happening around my. I forced a weak chuckle, then swallowing hard I stepped at an angle from the wall and began walking backward slowly. "No... I'm not."

My heart began to beat rapidly as the man smiled, stepping toward me. He removed his hands from the long, black beat up coat he wore and rubbed them together... a smile plastered across his face. "Oh yes you are... I'd know that face anywhere." His eyes flowed over me and his brow burrowed in a false display of concern. "Now what's a pretty little thing like you doing out in theses parts all on your lonesome?"

"Kori... where are you?" I heard Bruce call, panick in his voice now.

I ignored it... the only thing I was focused on was the continuation of my feet moving backward as I tried to put as much space between me and this stranger as I could. The cold breeze of the night stung at me, my breath visible now. "Nothing... I... I'm not even alone. My friend she is..."

"Of course she is." He said with a laugh, his steps moving slowly toward me in a taunting manner.

It was now that I became completely engulfed in fear... my back came to a halt as it hit a brick wall in which I had not seen, behind me... a dead-end. I swallowed hard. "I... I should probably go find my friend."

I was breathing heavily as the man shook his head, stepping to me with a sinister grin, and a slight crazed laugh. His eyes never wavered from mine, only growing wider as he stopped before me now. I could smell the bitter stench of cheap liquor on his breath. "And why would I let you do that..." He paused lifting his dirt stained knuckles against my cheek in a rough caress. I inhaled deeply and held my breath as he smiled again, his slimy yellow teeth displayed close to me. "... I'm your biggest fan."

My chest moved up and down in a frenzy of fear. My eyes focused on any way I could get our of this situation... "I already told you... I'm not Kori An..." I paused as his left hand fell to mine, taking my phone from my possession.

"You wont be needing this." He said casually placing it in his coat then looking back to me.

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, a tear falling from my eye.

The sight of me in tears drew even more laughter from him. He lifted a hand to his mouth as he suffered a severe cough... it was now that I took off into the street. I ran as fast as I could. The ground below me felt rugged and uneven. I widened my eyes, wiping away the tears so I could better my vision of where I was going... in truth I had no idea where I was and was hoping I would not find myself in yet another dead-end.

I glanced behind me and fear surged through me again... I realized I wasn't all that far ahead of him. His eyes stared at me in hunger. I was almost around another corner when I felt his grasp upon my left arm. I tried to fight back but my body was immediately thrust back and I found myself in his arms.

"You shouldn't have done that sweetheart." He panted. His strong grip upon my arm remained firm as he turned me to face him. His eyes widened over my every feature. "I was just gonna rob you take you for everything you got..." that revolting smile crept across his face again and he ran a filthy hand through my hair.. "... but now..."

He pressed me hard against the wall to my right, his eyes widening as he pressed my arms out at my sides to keep me still. I thought he was going to attempt kissing me... his face was inches from mine, the stench of his presence stifled my senses... that is until he came to a pause. His silence caused me to force an eye open only to find him gleaming wide-eyed at the bracelet Dick had given me on my birthday. My heart sunk... there was no way I was going to give the bracelet to him... it was too important to me.

"Hand it over." He said releasing his grip on me. When I hesitated, he raised his voice. "I said hand it over... your purse to." I swallowed hard... he could have my purse I didn't care. Once it was in his possession I lowered my gaze to the floor, placing my left arm behind me to conceal the bracelet. I inhaled deeply as he looked to me again. "The bracelet too."

I shook my head. "I can't."

His eyes narrowed and he stepped into me. "Did you hear me bitch? I said hand it over."

When I refused him again he struck me hard across the face. I fell to the floor, and could taste the blood seeping from my torn lip. I lifted a hand to my mouth and looked up at him.

"Take it off..." he paused extending my purse toward me..." Place it in the purse." When I hesitated again he revealed,.. with a smile... a small knife. "I'm gonna enjoy enjoy cutting your pretty little face off." He kicked at my shoe. "... the bracelet."

My entire body was shaking as I slowly removed it from my wrist. I cried harder as I extended my hand, bracelet within my grasp over my purse. I shook my head not wanting to let go... and I didn't until he brought the helm of the knife down upon my hand with immense force... the bracelet slipping through my fingers and disappearing into the bag.

"Good girl... " he said, placing the purse inside his large coat. "Now stand up."

"You have everything I own ... please... just let me go." I cried.

"It's not that easy princess." He said stepping over me and pulling me to my feet.

"Leave her alone!"

Both the stranger and I turned to the voice... my heart immediately washing over in relief.

"Rachel..." I said, smiling through the blood and tears on my face.

She stood there, confidence screaming in her features. She didn't acknowledge me, her glare was focused on the stranger now. "I said leave her alone."

The man laughed, ...his disturbing, spine chilling laugh, and motioned to the knife in his hand. "And what are you gonna do about it?"

Fear crept over me again... but not in regards to the man whose tight grasp was still on my arm... no, it was for Rachel... she had a smile on her face. A smile that I hadn't seen in a long while... a smile that meant someone was getting hurt tonight. My eyes widened... my thoughts confirmed as Rachel lifted a revolver from her purse... which ironically explained the need for said purse to be in her possession.

"Looks like your out of luck on this one."

The man erupted in laughter again. "You sure you know what your doing with that? Don't hurt yourself."

The world around us rang in a loud bang. I had shut my eyes tightly, panting against my scarce breathe as the gun went off. It was only as the mans grip on me vanished that I looked to find him scurrying away down a dark alley. I felt Rachel step to me and grab my arm.

"Are you alright?" Her eyes wandered over me with a concerned gleam.

"Wha... what...? How did you find me?" I cried.

"Your phone."

As she said this I thanked Dick for programming the small device within my phone which linked all of us... our friends... together. We always knew where each other were.

"Lets get out of here. We need to call the cops.."

"Cops?" I said puling my arm back from her, my body still shaking uncontrollably. "Rachel... you shot someone..." My eyes narrowed as she remained unaffected by this fact. "Why do you even have a gun?"

She ignored me lifting her phone to her ear. "I'm calling Bruce."

My mind came to a pause as a sharp pain surfaced on the back of my head. I cringed, lifting a hand to the back of my head, meeting the pain with a damp spot upon my hair. I looked to my fingers now, they were coated in blood.

"You alright?" Rachel asked, noticing me linger in my gaze upon my stained fingers.

I looked to her again, wiping the blood upon my jeans with a sigh... my body was still quivering in fear and shock of all that had taken place. I gave her an indecisive nod then said, "Rachel... why did you have a gun? It's too dangerous for you to..."

"Too dangerous?" She laughed. "Kori... the gun is the only reason you made it out alive tonight."

I hesitated. "You can't call the cops." I paused again as she looked to me in disbelief. "Look,... my mom doesn't need this extra stress on her."

"So this guy just gets away with it? He took all of your stuff... he hurt you."

I shrugged the thought of Dick's bracelet being taken working its way into my thoughts again. "Look... it's not a big deal..." I sighed lifting a hand to my forehead. "I'll just cancel my credit cards. It's not as though I had more than a hundred dollars in my wallet... and ..." I paused as I felt Rachel's hand upon my shoulder now.

"ITs going to be alright Kori. I know your scared but..." She fell silent as a black Cadillac pulled up alongside us and Bruce stepped from the vehicle.

Bruce looked to me with narrowed eyes. "Does Dick know about this?"

"No..." I paused catching a brief reflection of myself in the car window... I definitely looked at lot worse than my injuries were. My busted lip had sent blood flowing down my chin and onto my shirt, my hair was frizzed, and my clothes were spotted with dirt from when I had fallen to the floor before. While it may have looked bad to Bruce... the real pain I was in was more emotional than physical. I stared down at my bare wrist... angry that Rachel hadn't arrived sooner... before I had handed my bracelet over to the man. I looked to Bruce with a sigh. "I don't want him to know about this. He'd just worry."

"Well, I'll admit he usually is worried about you when it's not necessary but in this case..." his blue eyes softened and he placed a hand upon my shoulder. "... I'm even worried." He paused as I gave him a blood coated smile. "Lets get you cleaned up. I want you and Rachel to stay with me for the night. I'd feel better if I could keep an eye on you."

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When morning arrived, my head was pounding in a furious, unrelenting migraine. I didn't have time for pleasantries... I looked to the clock and realized I was late. I was expected to be at my mothers office over an hour ago and yet here I sat... far from ready.

I passed Rachel with a brief nod, ignoring her immediate concern for me and exited the building. I became easily frustrated at the annoying fact that I had no amount of money to afford a taxi and my mothers office was across town... to the bus I guess... I can't even remember the last time I was on a public bus.

I froze as a sharp suited gentleman stepped to me. "Miss Anders?"

I hesitated. "Yes."

He smiled warmly, but I could see his eyes wandering over my split lip and the bruises on my arms which I had yet to cover with my jacket. "Right this way. Mr. Wayne has arranged a car for you."

I smiled following the man, the thought of Dick and Bruce being far too alike striking a chord in my mind. When I finally reached the office I was bombarded by three of my mothers 'people', as they liked to address themselves as. They situated me in a small office... a large stack of paperwork greeting me at the desk. I sat with a sigh... my head was still throbbing and my body felt weak... concentration seemed beyond me at this point. I thought about Dick, and how upset he was going to be with me once he realized I wouldn't be answering any of his phone calls since the mugger had my phone. This trip was about my mother and Rachel and yet... as of right now I felt my mother still adamant about getting the work done, which is fine since I refused Rachel or Bruce the okay to tell anyone of what happened the night before, but Rachel seemed concerned for me instead of herself. I didn't want this time away from home to be about me... but if it meant Rachel would be more understanding then perhaps it was for the best. I only wish I had Dick's bracelet... it brought a sense of calm to me when he wasn't around.

Two... three hours ... I wasn't sure how long I had been there... the work was never-ending and my mind was slow today. I paused, releasing a heavy sigh as my mothers assistant popped her head into the room.

"Miss Anders... there's someone here to see you."

I sighed, not lifting my head up from the paperwork. "Tell Rachel to come back later... I'm busy."

"It isn't Rachel ... it's a handsome gentleman."

At this I smiled. "Well, tell Bruce I'll be there in a moment."

It was now that I heard the one voice that could make me cry. The voice that, while I had refused myself tears any longer, would be the key to releasing them like a hurricane upon me once again.

"It's not Bruce, either... "

I lifted my head to the door now and smiled. "What are you doing here Dick?"

He stood there,... looking as charming as ever... his leather jacket and jeans combo in full flare. He pulled the sunglasses from his eyes and smiled... damn that smile. "I'm here for you." He shrugged closing the door behind him. "I took the red-eye flight out. You seemed really upset yesterday and I couldn't sleep so... here I am."

I nodded, momentarily forgetting everything I had been through, right down to the fact that if he stepped any closer to me, he would see that I had been injured. His mere presence already brought a sense of calm to me. "I told you, you didn't have to come."

"Why aren't you wearing the bracelet I gave you?" He said, his voice came off more upset than hurt.

I paused, lowering my eyes to the paperwork once again... what could I say? The mere fact that he noticed it missing from my wrist so quickly made me uneasy... I hadn't expected him to be here... I had no excuse. I couldn't exactly just tell him I was robbed last night... trust me, he'd be furious. And in the end... he would have every right. I knew better than to walk the streets of New York alone... especially in the area in which I was. I swallowed hard as he stepped closer to me, sitting back upon the desk in front of me. I immediately noticed the aroma of his cologne, my eyes shut at the memory of his signature scent. To be honest a part of me knew he would show up soon enough in New York... I just hadn't thought it would be this soon.

I avoided his question, lowering the pen between my fingers to the paper before me. "I ... I uhh, .. I forgot to put it back on. You should go see Rachel... I really do have a lot of work to get done."

I heard a small chuckle escape him. "Is that anyway to treat someone who just spent the night on a plane for you?"

I looked to him as he set his sunglasses on the desk beside him. His eyes immediately narrowed on my features and I could tell he was upset. I felt his hand on mine as he pulled me to my feet and brought me into him, his eyes still focused upon my cut lip. Running a hand through my hair I tried to look away but felt his hand was tuck firmly below my jaw as he pulled my face closer to his. "It's... it looks a lot worse than it is."

His eyes flickered to mine and I knew he didn't believe me. He leaned his head forward, his eyes narrowing over my lip as he lifted a thumb to the wound. "How did this happen?"

I stepped back from him with, what I was sure, was a believable laugh, but the look on his face made me reconsider. "You know... I'm just clumsy. Rachel and I were..." I paused as he lifted a brow at me... which instantly sent a chill down my spine. "Look... I really need to get this work done so... you should get back to Rachel."

He stood now. "Yea... you guys are staying with Bruce..." I paused returning to my seat ignoring the comment. I could tell he seemed suspicious but if I avoided his gaze I knew things would be easier to get through. "Well... that's why I'm here is to help you. Vic and Gar are with Rachel for now."

"Its fine, I know you want to help but..." I paused thinking of an excuse he might buy. "Well... this paper work is very particular in..."

I fell silent as he laughed, lowering himself upon a chair opposite me in the desk. "Please Kori... nice try but this isn't anything more difficult than I've had to help Bruce with." He glanced over the paperwork and shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "You realize ... probably half of what you've done is wrong?"

I released a small whimper... I had expected this might happen, I wasn't exactly fully alert today. I lowered my head upon the desk with a whine. "Don't say that."

He laughed. "Don't worry about it... that's why I'm here." As he fell silent I could hear him rummaging through a large stack of papers in which I had already deemed complete and began stifling through the files. "Well... this is gonna take a while."

As he continued working in silence, I found myself staring at him. He seemed so focused... and I thank him in my thoughts for always being the one to calm me down. I tried to focus on my work as best I could but my gaze continued to find its way to him and his gorgeous figure. His deep-set brows always held so much emotion... usually anger or surprise... but they alone could make my heart beat quicker. His eyes... those amazingly crystal clear ocean eyes darted back and forth across the paperwork before him in such a focused manner it was hard not to smile. His overall relaxed state seemed too casual, but then again he was used to situations such as this. His feet were propped up on the corner of my desk and he leaned back in his chair, a slight mumble of words escaped his lips occasionally and I knew it was because he was completely focused.

My mind wandered back to my work then came to a halt as I watched him lean over the desk and help himself to the phone. He lifted it to his ear and tilted his head to the side to balance the phone between his cheek and shoulder. "What?"

I shrugged. "Nothing ... I just..."

"We're gonna need coffee if we plan on getting this done today."

My brow raised. "What?" I paused running my eyes over the crowded desk and sighed. "There's no way we're gonna get even half of this done today."

I felt myself melt as he smiled at me. "Trust me."

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**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

"Finally done," I said, standing in with a stretch and rubbing at my eyes. "I do not want to look at another file for a long time."

Kori giggled, but her tired eyes proved she was nothing more than exhausted. She pulled her long hair behind her in a sigh. "I can't thank you enough Dick. I really didn't think we would be able to finish all of this today." She paused looking to me with a grateful smile, and I could feel myself smiling back involuntarily. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

We lingered in this gaze for a brief moment then, clearing my throat I stepped to the door. "I'll be back alright. Answer your phone when I call you. I'm just gonna check on Rachel."

"I don't have my phone. I forgot it at Bruce's place."

I hesitated... I knew she was hiding something. I stepped to her again. "Alright... I'll pick it up for you."

"No..." She answered quickly. "I... I just... you wont find it. I lost it this morning so..." She shrugged but again... I could tell there was something bothering her... I just wasn't sure if this reading I had from her was a result of exhaustion or the secret she was obviously keeping from me. I sent her a kiss to the cheek then made my way out the office.

"Rachel..." I said lifting my phone to my ear. She called back to me in her signature monotone voice.

"What?"

"Hey, I'm gonna stop by a minute to pick up Kori's phone... do you know where she left it?"

The silence that followed arose further suspicion in me and I could feel my temper rising. "Rachel?"

A heavy sigh escaped her and she said, "You know what... this isn't my place to say, but you wont find the phone. Kori lost it."

"I know, she said that, but she said it was at Bruce's so just call it and when I get there..."

"No Dick." She interrupted. "I mean... she doesn't have it anymore."

I could tell from the tone in her voice, she was trying to tell me something that Kori obviously didn't want me to know, so I pressed further. "Come on Rae, just tell me. Does this have anything to do with..."

"She was mugged last night alright. The guy took her phone, beat a little sense into her, and... she's upset because he took everything... including the bracelet you gave her."

As this all fell to my ears I remained frozen. My anger was rising and as I hung up on Rachel I quickly made my way to Bruce's apartment in a focused daze. I raced up the stairs and shoved the door open, turning to the startled faces of Vic and Gar... Rachel must have been locked in her room still.

"Whats wrong?" Gar asked looking to me with concern at my obvious distraught state.

I ignored him and looked to Vic. "We have a problem."

His eyes narrowed. "What happened? Is Kori alright?"

"No... she was mugged last night." I said pulling my phone from my pocket and locking its signal on Kori's phone then showing it to Vic. "There's someone I can't wait to meet."

Vic smiled. "I'm in."

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	12. Scarecrow

Chapter Twelve: **Scarecrow**

**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

There he sat... the one person I did not want to spend an evening alone with. He leaned back into the couch making himself far more comfortable than I would have liked. It was nice that Vic, Dick and Gar had come to New York... as they said, 'for Kori'... but I knew better. I knew this game they were playing, and yea, I knew because of my passed they had reason to worry .. it's not like I haven't gone over the edge at a time like this before. The difference?... right now I was focused more on the fact that I had abandoned Kori to the cold streets of New York. If I had not been so involved in my own world... I could have been there for her... but I wasn't ... and it would have been far too easy for me to have been too late. Any second later, and there's no telling where that scum of the earth man would have taken her.

Whats worse?... I knew she was hurting. She was scared... terrified even, and while she held her composure around me to ensure that I knew she was here for me, and it wasn't that she needed my attention... but I knew she did. Which is why... at this moment, I'm sitting by the very definition of annoying... Garfield Logan.

He knew I was in a mood... and while most people are smart enough to give me my space... he never did. He would focus that ridiculous smile of his in my direction... trying with all his might to get me to crack a smile... but I think we all know that isn't going to happen. Any minute Kori was going to walk through the front door and have an insane amount of questions and accusations about the gun I had in my possession... and while its clear its none of her business... that never stopped her before.

"Hey Rae..." Came that obnoxiously happy voice. I shifted my eyes in his direction, making no other movements, and he smiled at me, his eyes glowing in a green frenzy. "... how about some food?"

"No." I said without any amount of emotion and lifted my book from the black coffee table in front of me and buried my nose in it... hopefully to give off the obvious statement that I wanted to be left alone.

"You know... New York is way different from where we live..." He looked through a stack of restaurant menus with far too much enthusiasm. "I bet they even have the best vegetarian food."

I ignored him still... but like the Gar we all know... he kept at it. I swear he loved the sound of his own voice more than anyone I had ever met. A loud cackle escaped him, making me jump slightly. I lowered my book slightly, and peeked over the top of my book and gritted my teeth. Could he be any louder?

"Dude, check it out... pizza."

I could feel his eyes on me but I returned to my book in silence still, trying my best to stifle my growing frustration with his exhausting presence.

"Where's the phone in this place?" He paused and I could see beneath the lower part of my book that he had turned in his seat toward me, awaiting my response. "Hey Rae..."

I lowered my book now with a glare. "Just use your cell phone?" His expression changed drastically... he looked back at me with what I like to refer to as the Cheshire cat smile... it was far too enthusiastic for any situation,... no matter the reason. I was convinced nothing was as exciting as he tried to make it. But... exhaling slowly to calm myself I lowered my eyes to the book once more... beginning a new chapter. I read the first sentence four times... never fully comprehending its words... why? Because Gar was talking as loud as he possibly could to order the pizza. I tried to ignore him, but then he looked to me.

"Hey what's the address to this place?"

I could feel the vein in my forehead pulsating rapidly now. I gripped the edges of my book and forced my words out as calmly as I could manage. "Do I look like someone who would know the answer to that?" Just as I returned to my book, convinced he had taken the hint and would remain silent,... he didn't.

"Well, can you call Dick... or Bruce... or..."

I stood now snatching the phone from his grasp and yelling into the line now. "Its Bruce Wayne's apartment... figure it out."

As I hung up and threw the phone at him, he shrugged his shoulders. "Thanks..." he lifted a hand to that blinding green mop of hair and laughed. "Hadn't really thought that call through."

My eyes narrowed. "IT's fine... now... shut up."

I lowered myself upon the couch again, knowing that Dick had told him to keep an eye on me and if Gar were to follow me to my room I would have no other choice then to knock him upside the head. He hovered... actually, to be more accurate, he attached and sucked the life from you. Dramatic... I didn't think so. And yea I realize I'm more temperamental in this moment but who ever decided to put Gar in charge of keeping an eye on me would deserve every amount of attitude and sarcasm headed their way.

It was quiet for a brief moment as he flipped through the television channels... I had quickly learned to block out the incessant clicking of the remote long enough to finish the first page of the chapter i had begun. But... as my fingers scraped at the page, turning to the next... it was as though a timer went off in his mind and he thought annoying me some more would be a good idea... who ever said ignorance is bliss... seriously... who said that? Because Gar was headed straight into my mind... poking at the trigger which would eventually send me in a rampage against him... which I would feel no regret for... its not as though I wasn't blatantly stating that I didn't want anything other then silence at the moment... he should know better.

"This show is the best. I've seen this one like fifteen times..." He chuckled in his high-pitched tone. I ignored it once more... but I could feel my concentration on my book slowly wavering. "This one is so good. Have you seen it before Rae? Rae?"

"I don't care Gar..." I snapped. "Isn't that obvious by now?"

"Aww c'mon I'm just trying to lighten your mood."

"That's funny because that's the last thing you're doing by talking nonstop. I just need some quiet before Kori gets here and the talking never stops."

"Geeze... alright."

I could feel my chest moving rapidly... I think it's safe to assume no one could annoy me quicker then this grass stain beside me. I inhaled deeply, shutting my eyes for a moment to calm myself down ... once more. It was a moment of silence and I shut my book, well aware that his childlike giggle would result in more conversation.

Before he could open his mouth I stood... "I swear Gar..." I fell silent as Kori entered the apartment... another person being here seemed to lighten my mood, directing my frustration off Gar... not entirely, but enough to were I didn't feel like striking him upon the head. "Hey Kor."

Her tired eyes looked to me... and I could tell she was still shaken by the night before. I told her to move on from it but... if it's not obvious by now, she and I were capable of similar reactions when it came to dealing with something such as this. She lifted a hand to her forehead and released a sigh. "I just need a shower."

I nodded,... I knew her long enough to tell when she wanted to cry... the strange thing... when it was something severe like this... and trust me this is going to sound ridiculous... but... she needed Dick around to cry. I think I mentioned before that they had latched onto each other surviving only through each others strength and right now... she needed his strength.

As she disappeared into her room I looked to Gar. "Where exactly did Dick and Vic say they were going?"

He looked to me with nervous wandering eyes. "You know what... they didn't say."

I raised a brow in annoyance. "Fine... don't tell me."

Gar and I sat alone for an additional half hour, resuming our disputing behaviors, before Kori appeared in the hallway. She looked to me and I could tell that she had been crying...

"Where's Dick?" She asked in a shaky voice.

I shrugged. "Ask Mr. untruthful here..." I smirked as Gar looked to me narrow eyed. "You're not as good a liar as you think."

I remained quiet as Kori looked to him with eager eyes and he became increasingly nervous. "I... I don't...know?"

"Is that a question or a statement?" I said with a muffled chuckle.

I heard a small whine escape him then he stood. "Look, Kor... I don't, not know where they are?"

I rolled my eyes, this attempt at a confusing response always worked on Kori, but I saw right through it. I looked to her as she released a drawn out sigh... she looked to me. "Can I talk to you?"

My brow raised again. "What for?" I knew what for but I was hoping to avoid the subject all together.

Her eyes moved nervously between Gar and I... "You know... about that... thing we were talking about... last night."

I lifted my book to my view again and shrugged. "I don't think there's really anything to say."

I could feel the tension between her and I in the room now but I did not look to her, ... trust me, it would only guarantee the conversation to pursue.

There was a small whimper from her then she said, "Well,... when you see Dick tell I went to bed already and that I'll talk to him in the morning."

I nodded as she left, then looked to Gar as he brought his voice to a whisper. "Something tells me she isn't feeling well."

"Really? What gave that away?"

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**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

Two blocks away... that's all I had to wait before I could make this son of a bitch pay. Vic stood beside me in an almost equally furious demeanor. My mind was racing circles around the thoughts of this pathetic excuse for a human being attacking my Kori. She was undeniable the most innocent person I had ever met, and the fact that this man singled her out and did what he did her... to be honest I didn't know the details or full extent of what he had done to her but right now it didn't matter. The point was that he put even one finger on her, scared her... and he was gonna pay.

Vic paused looking down at his phone. "This is it..."

I shook my head, I was beyond words right now... my anger was fuming... I could feel it in every muscle... the only thing I wished I could change about this moment was that Vic was here. That's not to say I didn't want his help... the truth was I needed it. As much as I would love to be the one to bring this man down on my own... I still had a cast upon an arm which was still fairly recently broken.

I could hear Vic talking but I heard nothing but the beat of my heart as it increased in anticipation as we inched closer to this man's house. It was a small apartment complex,... a sketchy one at that. When we reached the door... I looked to Vic, who knocked hard against the rusted, slanted '7' which hung in the center of the door... the wait was stabbing at my nerves... I couldn't hold on much longer.

Vic knocked again... then again... but no answer. He turned to me with a shrug. "Maybe we could come back."

I lifted a brow in frustration. "Fuck that." I paused placing my ear against the door and knocked once more. There was a brief silence, then a muffled scream sounded from within the apartment. I looked to Vic with a smile.

"What are you doing?" He asked nervously. I could tell the amount of anger I felt was beginning to make him nervous.

Ignoring him I took a step back from the door and lifting a leg I kicked the door in. It broke through the main lock but there was a safety lock which remained. I laughed as the scream from within the apartment grew louder... all that was keeping me from this bastard was a tiny gold-colored chain at the upper part of the door. Kicking it again, I entered in a fury... Vic right behind me.

My eyes scanned over the trashed apartment which remained in shambles. I was too heated to notice much detail in the apartment other than the fact that this guy was still out of my sight. I strode through the apartment without a word. Finding the kitchen and living room empty I headed for the hallway... only to be stopped by a wide eyed Vic.

"Man... let's just think this through... what's the plan?"

I shoved him aside, taking to the hallway. "There is no plan..."

The shoved the first door to our right open... empty. I was beginning to become even more frustrated... was he really hiding? No matter... I'd find him soon enough. I entered the last room my eyes widening. The pathetic prick sat curled in the corner, hugging at his right leg which was draining blood all over the ground, a weak excuse for a bandage wrapped around it and coated in said blood. I paused... my eyes taking in his entire presence. This was the man, ... it was his face... his disgusting figure in which would haunt Kori now. The thought of his hands on her and how easy it must have been for him to manipulate her. The entire scene... while I didn't know the details, found a way into my head... as if I had been there... seen it all. I swallowed hard as I imagined Kori flee from him, and him attacking her. The anger I felt was now coupled with vengeful pain.

He looked to me with a forced glare as he tried to ignore the obvious pain in his leg. "Who the fuck are you? ...and why are you in my house?"

I paused lifting my phone and calling Kori... as her phone rang from beside him, the man's eyes widened on mine now. I smiled. "Ringing any bells?"

Before he could reply or stammer away I lunged at him... which would have been more effective had I been able to use my good arm,... but while I may not have been as strong with my left then my right ... that didn't mean I was any slower.

I placed a hand upon his collar dragging him to his feet against the wall and struck him in the jaw. I paused as he wavered from the blow... I didn't want even one hit to hurt any less. As he looked to me again I sent another blow... this time to his nose. His blood poured from his inflamed nostrils down upon me but I didn't care... it was only when he brought an arm down on my cast... low blow I know but he was desperate... that I stepped back momentarily. I felt the initial shock of the agony as his arm hit mine, but after that I went numb to any amount of pain... rage fueling me. As I looked up to him I came face to face with the underside of his boot, which knocked me back. I stammered slightly and as the man reached for a crowbar hidden beneath a stack of empty boxes it was now that Vic stepped in... but he held back his anger... this moment wasn't as meaningful to him as it was me.

The man cried out in pain as Vic sent a knee to his gut. I took this opportunity to charge toward him now. He swung the crowbar at me, sending me to duck quickly, barely escaping its wrath. Re-situating myself before him he tried to bring the crowbar down upon me again. I immediately sprung forward sending a jab to his throat and as his posture slouched at the pain I brought a leg behind his knee, making him fall back instantly to the floor with a loud cry. Burying a knee in his chest and quickly snapping his wrist, the crowbar fell with a heavy bang to the floor.

Standing again I watched as he crawled toward the window doing his best to escape... struggling as he scraped his nails across the wooden floor. I paused looking down at his wounded leg. I could tell it was a result of having been in a confrontation with a gun. I smiled spitting a small amount of blood which had trailed down to the corner of my mouth from my eyebrow. His body convulsed slightly as he pulled himself to his knees with the help of his hands digging into the window sill. He looked up at me wide eyed as I lowered my foot to his wound, pressing hard against it and holding him still... his grip upon the frame loosening.

"Let me go!" He cried. I put more pressure on the wound... satisfied with his suffering. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry alright."

I laughed, my foot unmoving from his leg. "I bet you are."

"Hey man... " Vic said nervously. "I think that's enough. Let's get Kori's things and get out of here."

I ignored Vic as the man beneath me spoke through his straining pain, knowing perfectly well I had no intentions of stopping... not this soon. He laughed. "kori Anders..." he began, my eyes widened on him, daring him to continue. "... she's a pretty little thing isn't she." I slammed my foot against his leg now, hearing a loud pop which immediately sent him into writhing pain.

I stepped away from him as he curled up on his side reaching for his leg in a shout. I felt Vic's hand on my shoulder ... I tried to shove him away from me but he held a firm grasp on my now. "Dick... that's enough."

My breath was stressed and as I looked down at the whining man I nodded. "Get kori's things."

Vic immediately nodded, stepping to the edge of the room. I wiped at my cut brow trying to calm myself down... which the effort was soon lost for the man cried out again looking to me.

"Don't think this is over kid... I'll get out of this mess." He paused spitting a large amount of blood from his lips. "I made that little bitch a promise in which you ensured I will go out of my way to follow through on."

I lunged at him again a hand grasped tightly upon his neck as I lifted him back against the wall ignoring a scream that escaped him as I forced pressure on his leg. "Oh really?" I breathed heavily. "And what promise is that?"

He shook his head laughing at me. "I'm gonna cut that little bitches face off. I'll make sure she suffers every second until she's dead."

This is where I blacked out in a rage... I attacked him viciously and without hesitation even as he began to lose consciousness. I spun out of control his face purple and bruised pasted with blotches of his own blood. He was on the floor now gasping for air and I stepped to him without hesitation, my foot connecting with his face, ... then his gut... I ignored his leg which was obviously broken. I could tell just by the way it fell upon the floor in an unnatural manner. It was only as Vic raced to my side and pulled me back that my head cleared again.

"Come on Dick... you're gonna end up killing him!"

I turned away from the barely breathing man now, my entire body shaking in an extreme amount of adrenalin. I still wasn't satisfied but Vic kept pulling and shoving at me to leave. When I finally gave in and followed him I lingered for a moment at the door, looking back to the mans convulsing body as he cried out in pain. He looked to me with stained red eyes in desperation... all I could do was smile.

When we finally stepped out into the night again my adrenalin was still pounding at an alarming rate which only increased as Vic insisted we stop by a payphone to call the cops. He was afraid the man would end up bleeding out in the condition in which we left him and... in truth... I really didn't care.

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"Are you calm enough now?" Vic said with an annoyed tone as we stepped out of the car and made our way toward the apartment. I ignored him, a stern expression formed across my face. He released a heavy sigh. "You lost control back there."

I looked to him narrow eyed. I didn't reply, but not because he was wrong... because in fact... he was absolutely right. I can't explain it in any normal sense... the moment for me was fleeting and I felt an unattainable hunger in me. The vision of a frightened Kori played over in my mind the entire time... the fact that anyone would hurt her awakened a darkness in me which I wasn't proud of. I know how the night should have played out. We should have gone in there... knocked him around a bit and left... which obviously wasn't enough for me. This realization somewhat made me uneasy. I knew Kori wouldn't have wanted me to do what I did, and while I was never going to be satisfied with letting him get away with it... I had in fact lost control. A part of it, I knew, was because of my undeniable attraction to her... and I knew that this whole scenario was getting worse.

I shouldn't have gone as far as I did... no the man didn't die but still... I wasn't acting myself. When Kori entered my mind... I had no amount of restraint... this alone was problematic. Because the fact was... while I was able to hold back on physical intimacy with her... it was obvious my mind had lashed out in violence to make up for any amount of restraint I had formed. The sad part... right now... I didn't care. I smothered these truths in the back of my mind... focused on nothing more than getting back to Kori and comforting her. There would be plenty of time after she was better that I could scold myself.

We stopped before Bruce's apartment door and Vic looked to me. "Are you sure you don't need a minute to..."

He fell silent as I grabbed Kori's purse from his hands and entered the apartment... immediately drawing the attention of Rachel and Gar who sat around a large pizza. They looked to me and I could tell the anger I felt was more than obvious to them.

"You alright?" Rachel asked.

"Yea dude..." Gar chimed in. "You don't look so good."

"Which room is Kori staying in?" I asked ... my tone barely masking the emotions I felt.

"She's... the last one on the left in the hall." Rachel said slowly.

I immediately took to the hallway and entered her room. She lay curled up on the bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. I inhaled deeply lowering her purse to the foot of the bed and sitting beside her. It was now that I first realized the bruises on her arms from, I'm assuming, where the mugger had held her still in a fit of rage as she attempted to escape him. I did my best not to let this effect my calming mood which surfaced the moment my eyes lay upon her. She was in a sweet slumber but I needed to wake her.

I lowered a hand to her cheek and brushed her bangs from her face and whispered her name softly. She stirred for a moment then those large eyes opened with a smile. A smile which faded as she noticed the cut on my brow and the peeled back skin on my knuckles. I had done my best to smear the blood from the cuts but I assumed they was still too fresh to be easily disguised.

"What... what happened to you?" Her eyes melted into sadness and she lifted a frail hand to my face. "Dick... where were you?"

I paused tossing her phone onto her lap. I waited for her tired mind to process the fact that I had gotten it back for her and then I looked to her in disappointment. "Don't lie to me again."

She swallowed hard. Her voice becoming shaky now. "What did you do?"

Pulling the bracelet I bought her from my pocket I shrugged. "Don't worry about it." I watched her eyes lower to my hands as they fixed the bracelet securely upon her wrist. "Don't take it off again..." I placed a hand below her chin directing her now teary eyes to mine, I could tell my hands were still shaking from the intensity I felt at the moment but I tried to calm myself as best I could. "... can you promise me that?"

She inhaled deeply, and opened her mouth to speak but receded to a whimper as she nodded her head slowly.

"You don't have to worry about him again alright. He can't hurt you anymore."

"I was so scared..." It was now that her emotions let loose and tears began to pour from those gorgeous emeralds. I swallowed hard... if there was one thing that hurt me the most in this world it was a moment like this. When she looked to me with such sorrow. Kori was naturally an emotional person so when she hurt... really hurt, like this... her entire body trembled like a vicious storm.

I placed an arm around her, and leaning back against the headboard, I pulled her into me. She nestled her head upon my shoulder showering tears onto my chest. I could feel her heart beating rapidly against mine ... an instant sense of warmth coming over me... there was no where I'd rather be then here... in this moment with her. I held her as tightly as I could, the thought of her fear in the moment she was attacked hit me hard. I would have given anything... sacrificed anything to have been able to shield her from harm.

I kissed her gently upon the head. "If anything like this happens again I want me to be the first person you call." I felt her nod. "No more secrets Kori... you and I are closer than that. I don't care if I'm half way around the world... if you cal me... I'll be there... I;ll find you and I'll fix everything."

She looked up to me, her eyes lingering upon mine. I felt my body shutter as she lifted her lips to my cheek, kissing me gently. She was never the one to initiate a kiss, no matter how innocent it was... I was always the one finding my lips on her. So this moment framed itself in my thoughts... my feelings for her heightening now.

Her soft, sweet voice spoke heavenly now. "Thank you."

"You never have to thank me Kori... I'm your best friend... I will always be here for you."

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(A/N) This chapter was intense... hope you liked it... remember, please R/R =]


	13. Hollow-Point Smile

Chapter Thirteen:**Hollow-Point Smile**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

Alright ... so,... it's been a while... I mean since New York of course. Its been almost an entire two weeks since then, and while it feels much longer to me, that's only as a result of the torture these two weeks have been for me. Which isn't to say it was all bad... just most of it. Why?... merely because, aside from the kiss Richard and I shared on my birthday, which seems so long ago... my mind kept wandering over and over, refusing to let go of the moment I had with Dick during our last day in New York. Now, let me just be clear... it wasn't as exciting as I make it sound,... but for me... it was something I couldn't let go of, especially when the entire day remained perfectly untainted by time... I remember everything, beginning with that very morning... so don't worry, the lapse of time doesn't mean you will lose any amount of detail in what happened.

So here it is... our last day in New York...

A gust of cool air brushed over me, sending me into a wave of shivers as I awoke that very morning. My eyes remained closed as I narrowed them against the morning light which invaded the room from the shutters... I was not looking forward to this morning. True... Dick had made it obvious he was not all that upset about the little white lie I told him... but no matter how perfectly you dressed the situation up... it was still a lie, and I knew he would nonetheless be frustrated with me... no matter how slight a frustration it was.

The air conditioners' vent blew cooler air down upon me and I immediately pulled the thick comforter over my head with a low sigh. I was well aware that when I fell asleep the previous night, I had been in Dick's arms and that now he was no longer in the room. I could hear my friends muffled voices which echoed down the hallway and vibrated off the bedroom walls, but I ignored them as best I could and attempted to resume in my slumber... but... my mind was already alert and I knew it was a useless attempt.

Covers still tucked over my head I gently opened my eyes airing them out from the night I had spent wallowing in tears. They urgently fell upon my wrist... the sight of Dick's bracelet and the words he spoke to me when nestling it back onto my wrist choked at my mind. I ignored the smile which I was certain had formed across my face and sighed... he had been far too captivating in his protectiveness with me... and I was certain it would only continue to get worse. Because lets face it... when a guy, whether you have feelings for him or not... went out of his way to protect you ... I can't help but believe the situation would plummet you into an emotional state of utter bliss... whether it be desired or not. And that's truly how I felt. I mean, sure, Dick had always been there for me, but now... with this... he had shielded me, put himself in harm's way just to be sure that I would feel safe... and I, while of course would not admit it out loud,... I felt at myself sinking further when around him.

The entire night, at least up until I fell asleep, ... I remember him holding me tightly, his soft touch gently caressing me, comforting me, and not one moment even in the slightest did his grip upon me fade or weaken. At the beginning I felt so scared, ... for myself,... for Dick... also for Rachel and the disturbing fact that she was in possession of a weapon... and then, as the night carried on, my tears breaking way and my body fighting against the pain in which I felt from inconsolable weeping... something inside me just... stopped. I don't... I don't know what it was or how, even, to explain it... but a feeling blossomed in me. I recall, as this emotion set over me, looking up to Dick and as he sent me a warm, sympathetic smile, his lips lowered to my cheek kissing through my tears... and one thing was certain. The bracelet merely confirmed this... and while it was something I always knew... right now the fact that he would always be there for me eternally... it was renewed, a better, more appreciative understanding of him and I and our friendship was fully restored... heightened even.

I could feel my crying soften... tears clawing less aggressively at my tired eyes... and a confident set of mind settled over me. That's not to say my tears faded completely... but I think it was this moment when I was no longer crying because I was frightened by my experience... no, I was crying because I loved him more than I could ever put into words... more than I could ever express or even begin to fathom its pure, solid, unwavering extent. This epiphany alone both reviving comfort in me and at the same time a small amount of regret. Regret, not for feeling this but rather my ridiculous, yet unintentional, attempts at allowing my feelings for him beyond friendship to ever interfere with what Dick and I truly were... we were infinitely two people living with one soul... two hearts bonded together in a friendship that could never fade.

I paused... my mind falling hushed at the sound of laughter erupting from my friends. It brought even more comfort to simply know Rachel had joined in said laughter and that she was internally peeking through her anger and fear during this hard time. With a heavy sigh I tossed the covers off of me and lifted myself from the large bed with a sense of restored happiness. I pranced toward the bedroom door the sensation of my hair dancing behind me at my waist, then came to a pause, my hand inches from the doorknob. I felt myself smile... the thought of a nice warm bath exciting me further. Stepping back from the door I headed into the bathroom, my senses waking as my feet met the frigid stone tiles beneath me.

I forced my unruly morning hair into a tight bun, pausing as I caught my horrid reflection in the mirror to my right. I watched my shoulders retreat in a slouch... let's just say this wasn't the best I ever looked... I hardly recognized myself. Stepping to the mirror I leaned over the sink which met my bare skin at the waist as my shirt lifted in a stretch once I brought my face closer to the mirror. I burrowed my brows looking to my busted lip which had finally formed a decent scab... a scab which only gave off the appearance of a worse condition then it really was. When I lifted a hand to my face I forced it down upon my cheek sighing in a displeased manner... I really had to work on controlling the amount of time in which I spent crying in one time span... the effects were too disagreeable on my features. My puffy eyes and stressed complexion taunting back at me in my reflection.

Inhaling deeply I turned to the tub and brought life to the faucet, drawing a bath... the sensual steam rising and calming me as it developed around me. I lingered in silence giving my mind a break from its constant nagging and focused on nothing more than the sound of the water as it rained down upon itself thrashing against the porcelain tub crowding into a pool of what was sure to bring utter release to my sore muscles and weak demeanor.

Once the bath had reached my desired amount I stepped from my clothes and lowered myself into its' appeasing warmth, my body shuttering against its relaxing hold over me. I slipped into a trance of stillness and devoted silence, allowing myself, body and mind, to come to a halt... no stress, no expectations, no worries... nothing.

Lingering... blissful... silence...time nonexistent...

After a short while... or maybe not so short... I'm not entirely sure, nor did it matter... but I could feel my eyelids growing, my mind now swimming in a dreamlike state. How long I stayed here or if I in fact had drifted back to sleep... I didn't know, but eventually my mind clicked back on. I splashed water over my face and paused looking around at the elegant bathroom, a small chuckle escaping me... Bruce never belonged to anything that wasn't as beautiful as this apartment... right down to the perfection of this rich fashioned bathroom.

Stepping from the tub now I dried myself off, each movement still slow as my mind refused to fully awaken from my relaxed state. Wrapping the towel around me I stepped back into the room making my way to a large suitcase near the edge of the bed. I contemplated over several outfits before deciding upon one I could come to terms with in regards to my over all feelings at the moment. It had to be one that covered the bruises on my arms ... and yet... I didn't want the outfit to be too expressive. I was feeling comfortable in my own skin again since the attack and yet I wasn't sure I was ready for the bright, enthusiastic attire I would normally sport.

I hesitated in front of a long mirror, and with a shrug I took my appearance in. I didn't look too horrible, the swelling in my eyes, which had not vanished entirely, had faded slightly to an adjustable satisfaction. My gaze trailed down from the slightly over-sized, dark blue T-shirt Dick had given me years ago from a concert we had went to... then down to my black shorts... no shoes just a comfortable pair of knee-high black socks with a gray trim. I smiled now, nodding to myself, completely content, then stepped into the hallway.

I walked slowly, ever so often catching pieces of the conversation which occurred at the end of the hall in the living room. Then, I came to a halt, lingering in the entrance of the living room. I felt a smile engulf me as I looked out at the display of my gathered friends. The long black leather couch which remained against the wall directly to my right sat Victor and Dick the two were laughing among each other while, on an opposite facing couch Gar and Rachel sat, their behavior the same. It was Dick that noticed me first, he was in mid sentence then came to a halt suddenly looking to me.

I could see a familiar expression flow over his face. He flashed me a comforting yet concerned smile and waving me over, spoke in an eager tone. "You're finally awake."

It was now that the others noticed my presence and a line of smiles focused on me. I mirrored their smiles and made my way toward Dick, situating myself between him and Vic and leaned into him as he placed an arm around me. I looked to Rachel as she spoke first... her emotionless tone surprisingly nowhere to be found.

"I think you had the right idea coming out here Kor." She shrugged, hiding a smile. "I admit I'm somewhat enjoying myself."

Clearing my throat I nodded. "Glad to hear it." I looked up at Dick. "So what's the plan for today? I thought Bruce left."

"He did," Rachel replied. I looked to her as she displayed a smirk before me, ... and not that I drew any attention to it, I caught her send a smile to Gar, which... is an entire other story in which I was quickly wanting to know more about. "We thought we might spend our last day here ... ya know... together or whatever."

... and that's what we did, ... all of us... we spent the entire day in conversation never actually leaving the living room unless for the occasional bathroom break or the trips Gar and Vic would make to the kitchen to prepare the most delicious snacks. Over all... it was a great day,... one that we all were in need of in my opinion. We were always a close-knit group but days like this were always refreshing and highly enjoyable. Sometimes we found ourselves so occupied in the chaotic pace of our individual lives that even when we were around each other we never found the time to reconnect with one another like today.

Vic, he had spoken of Karen and her friends and the constant struggle he found himself surrounded by when her friends would interfere with his and Karen's time together, and that at the end of the day things were good... difficult at times,... but still good. Gar, he went on about a new girl he had met while in school,... I think he said her name was Terra. Either way he was very... very... excited about her, and while I could tell this excitement from him drew a glare in which only I noticed from Rachel,... I knew she would never actually admit her distaste for this Terra character despite not having met her.

Now, Rachel... she had barely revealed any details about her life other than the fact that she had managed to finish a new series of novels in which she was excited about. And, the obvious statement to make here is that no one spoke of her situation with her father,... and I withheld the million of concerns I had about her choice of concealed weapon... at least for now. Then,... before Dick could speak, everyone shared a laugh in the progress in which their bets against the playboy had made, ... and even I joined in the laughter, which obviously... from what I could tell... bothered him slightly. In the end he spoke about Crystal... the one from the beach house, ... and the one he was sure to return to once we arrived back home. He didn't say too much, and we all had an unspoken agreement to not draw attention to my obvious bruises and cuts... and yet, there were moments when I caught glances, from each of them, their eyes wandering over me in concern, but beyond that the day was pleasant.

When I spoke, I told of Komi and her unwise decision to flee from the cops, miss her court date, and how I was certain, should we see her again, that it would not end well. In any event, though, ... the sun had set now, and Dick and I sat beside each other, an empty box of pizza before us. The others had slowly vanished into their rooms, giving in to their tired eyes... Gar being the last to leave. He gave me a brief side hug then nodding to Dick he disappeared into the hallway, leaving Dick and I alone.

The room around us fell silent momentarily, ... aside from the movie which played at a low volume. I stared up at the black and white screen... "Hitchcock really was the best of his time." I giggled slightly, then noticing Dick's sudden silence I looked to him. He leaned back in the corner of the couch, turned at an angle toward me, ... his eyes focused on mine. I paused reading his expression. "Look... I never got the chance to really explain what happened and while..." I sighed. "... while I'd rather just forget about it... if you want to know the details I suppose I could..."

"No..." he answered, running a hand through those ebony gelled locks. I noticed as his gaze lowered to my left wrist, but he didn't speak.

My mind began racing but instead of troubling myself with what could possibly be on his mind, I opted for a change of the subject. I shrugged, tucking my legs into my chest and hugging them. "It's going to be good to be back home again."

He nodded... the silence still continuing.

"If you're upset with me just say so." I said in a slightly raised voice, which surprised even myself.

"I'm not... why would I be?" He replied, his eyes cooling again.

I hesitated. "You seem... you just seem bothered by me right now."

In what I thought would be nothing more than a continued awkward silence from him he leaned toward me, a hand upon my arm as he lifted my sleeve partially, viewing the bruises which stained my arm. His eyes were so focused on me... concern swarming his blue hues so much that I couldn't take it any longer.

I pulled away, lowering my sleeve again. "Don't worry about it." I tried to give him a comforting smile but his demeanor remained unflinching against mine.

"This never should have happened."

"Do you... do you remember the night we went to this concert?" I asked him. The question alone throwing him off.

He looked to my shirt with a smile. "How could I forget?" A sense of warmth rushed over me as he looked to the floor now with a smile. "We were both really drunk that night."

I laughed. "Yes... and you found yourself in a fight against five other guys." My laughter refused to die down. "... and you... thee Dick Grayson... lost... horribly."

He shook his head. "What can I say? ... I could barely keep my balance at the time, let alone stand alone against them."

"Right, ... and when you came back to me looking ... well, looking as awful as you did... what did you tell me?"

His laughter came to a sharp halt and he looked to me, knowing perfectly well why I had brought the subject up in the first place. He inhaled deeply. "I told you... 'the pain would fade along with the bruises,... and all that mattered was that I was with you in this moment." he paused.

"And?" I teased.

He shook his head in a chuckle. "...and... that when I was with you..." He paused locking his eyes onto mine, his voice hardening in a serious manner. "... nothing ever seemed so bad ... so..."

"... so there was no use wasting my concerns with something I cannot change." I finished.

We paused lingering in an intense gaze, before he pulled my toward him. I turned my body so that I was comfortable in in his arms and we returned to the movie, not another word spoken the entire night. Which, of course sounds like an all too adorable moment shared with my best friend, ... but its far too clear by now that it was moments such as this that slowly tore at my heart.

So, when I began this I said I had mentioned It had been two weeks since that last night I spent cuddled next to Richard... the moment never really leaving me... and it was true. It was as if every moment with him stitched its way into my mind, permanently left there... no matter how many times I tried to refuse the fact that I enjoyed every second with him, especially when he was overly affectionate with me. Now, this may sound all very romantic... a friendship made for the books... but lets not forget one very important detail... I was still undeniably drawn to my best friend in a way that, if I didn't find an outlet to express myself... frustration, desire, passion, longing... and of course that's not to mention all these coupled with the pathetic sinking feeling which lingered over me with said unrequited love... eventually, I would break. And I couldn't... like I've stated before... Dick and I were born to be best friends, and that's not to say that this was any less true now then it was when we first met... but that now... my insides were conspiring against me. It was as though if I did not force myself to remain untainted by my feelings... at least when around him as to not arise suspicion... I would probably end up ruining this friendship... and that's just something I can't live with.

As always... I'm getting off the subject. The point being,... these two weeks had been a nightmare for me, and while I had finally found an outlet to distract me from these feelings for Richard... that didn't always make it easy to be around him. Because, despite Dick's ever more protectiveness about me... he had remained attached to this Crystal girl, who, without a single doubt loathed me... that;s right, I skipped hate and moved right on to loath... with good reason though. I'll get into that a bit later, because I'm trying to explain the one reason I had been able to bear Dick and Crystal's lovey-dovey ... interactions. Interactions which seemed to occur all around me... all the time.

So here I am... these past few days of school having been nothing short of a reality check. I would go into detail about everything but the truth was, it seemed as though everything was back to normal... well, aside from Richard's increase in his already over protectiveness with me... which of course I didn't mind. As I said, Dick was shockingly still with this Crystal girl, and while she didn't really like me I tried not to let it bother me. The good part of this scenario was that it threw everyone for a loop. Vic, Gar, and Rachel's bets had come to an undesired halt... which of course there was humor in, but... while I had been able to filter my feelings for Dick that didn't mean they had subsided even in the least. I guess you could say I had joined in a compromise with myself. When around him and Crystal I ignored, as best I could, their 'interactions', ... but that didn't mean once I got home to my empty house that I didn't unleash the stress of it all to the empty halls. Over all,... I was transitioning... and I thought it was going well... so far at least.

That's not to say I still didn't struggle with myself... I mean, this was Dick Grayson, best friend or not, his pores gave off this unintentional charm which had bewitched me. There were several occasions since we had been back that I found myself struggle whenever a moment occurred when it was just him and I. It wasn't because I was uncomfortable around him,... just that ever so often he would look to me with this strange ... dare I say passionate gaze? I don't how much truth holds up to this actually, and yet... whenever I caught him with those intense eyes on mine, similar to the night he kissed me... I felt as though he was trying to tell me something... and then, like a flip of a switch... he would clear his throat, sending what ever conversation we happened to be in at the time into a humorous random one... the intense gaze vanishing completely.

I couldn't understand it and a part of me thought maybe... just maybe he ... ugh, I don't know, it sounds ridiculous to even think it so I won't divulge my preposterous theory, because in the reality I lived in, the one I was constantly being reminded of with each glare sent from his girlfriend Crystal,... Dick was being nothing more than protective of me... the glance... I told myself... was nothing more than concern.

In any event... I actually have some rather ... interesting news in which, believe me, I am entirely conflicted about. Yes, this is the part where I let you in on my little distraction... a distraction that had taken the form of Roy... Roy Harper. Yes, the one I had cut from my life the moment he spoke ill of Dick and his parents... yea well... I have been... seeing him. I know ... I know... you're probably thinking... how? ... why? ... well... to be honest I found he was the distraction I was in dire need of. Go figure right...? The truth of the matter was... no matter how much time passed, the kiss Dick and I shared haunted me and I wanted to be free of it.

Which of course... Dick was completely unaware of our time with one another ... believe me, you know as well as I do... this was not information Dick could handle... at least not for now. And actually... I should be more clear about all this... when I say I'm seeing Roy that doesn't actually mean I'm with him... I'm,... I'm not his girlfriend or anything, just... friends.

Now let me just point out... I didn't actually enjoy sneaking around with Roy and lying to Dick about where I was and what I was doing but... i don;t know... Roy made me... happy. He made me forget about all the visuals playing over in my thoughts of Dick and Crystal lip locked in the parking lot,... and between classes in the hallways... or at lunch... whenever I was at his house... yea, I think you get the picture. And while I knew merely by the fact that I felt obligated to keep said friendship with Roy a secret that it only meant I knew it was wrong... but for right now, I didn't care. I was happy, ... distracted... and I was rather enjoying myself. Which ... obviously so was Dick, since he was so busy with Crystal to even notice my sometimes odd behavior when I spotted Roy across the hall and we exchange smiles... but yea... rambling again.

So here I was... Thursday afternoon, ... in school, where else?... the day was almost through, well to be more accurate, it was half way through. We, all of us, Vic, Gar, Rachel, me,... Dick AND Crystal... sat around a large table in the food court ...and it was... a rather quiet day, nothing too exciting. I remained silent, staring down at my disturbing excuse for cafeteria food... then... I looked up and saw him. Roy stood near the exit of the door, waving me over in a rushed manner.

I immediately diverted my eyes from his and scanned over the table quickly. No one noticed my sudden excitement, and even as I stood it was as if I were invisible. Actually, I should probably mention... Gar and Rachel were becoming slightly close when we initially returned from New York... and then something happened... or rather someone... Terra. I'll go into detail more about that later, because trust me it's rather interesting... but since I'm skipping it for now, I'll leave you with a hint... let's just say Rachel and jealousy is a toxic mixture.

I stepped toward the exit glancing back at the oblivious table of my friends then vanished behind the cafeteria double doors. Roy took my hand and pulled me down the hallway before I could object .. or even smile to him.

"Where are we going?" I laughed.

He ignored me, taking me down the hallway and out into the school parking lot. He stopped before his bike, tossing me a helmet then smiled. "Let's get out of here."

I hesitated... my thoughts wandering to ... none other than Dick himself. "No... I ... I shouldn't. I mean, ... you know this whole friendship thing is still a secret from a select few of my friends and..."

"You mean Dick?" He laughed. Shaking his head he tossed a leg over the bike. "Come on, he's got his tongue stuck so far down that chic's throat he wont even notice you're gone."

I forced a laugh, but my thoughts were mocking him... Dick would notice I was gone eventually and then I would have some explaining to do. Before I could object any further, Roy's hand was on mine, pulling me toward him.

We rode for a short while, stopping before my house. AS he and I both stepped from the bike, I hesitated. "Why are we here?"

My nerves jolted into alertness as Roy looked back to me with a wide smile. "Look... I'm just gonna be honest with you..." he shrugged running a hand through his auburn hair, his blue eyes shinning... "I'm tired of sneaking around."

I rolled my eyes... I was finally allowing myself to enjoy time with Roy and now he was about to ruin it. "Look... I get it... I do... but if we want this friendship to keep working..."

"That's just it..." he said taking my hand once more and leading me toward my front door, pausing on the porch. I felt myself inhale deeply as he gave me this passionate look. "I don't want to just be your friend Kori... not anymore."

I felt my eyes widen. Laughter consuming me as I shook my head. "You don't know what you want." Hesitation set in further as his gaze remained firm upon mine. I cleared my throat, my mind confused now. "Where is this even coming from?"

A strange emotion overcame me as his eyes narrowed. "You don't realize how beautiful you are ... how amazing you are... do you? I mean... I've made it perfectly clear I have feelings for you."

I froze... what? ... My mind receded into a still-frame of utter darkness... I was beginning to understand it did this whenever I really... really... needed it to focus. I swallowed hard... "Roy... I... " Nothing... no words... just... mush...

Now, if my mind was frozen in shock already... what Roy did next only complicated things further for me. As I remained in a stuttering display of bafflement... he leaned forward, his hand upon the back of my neck and instantly his lips were on mine. The emotion that settled over me was nowhere near as intense as it was with Dick,... but I wasn't entirely numb to the small spark that ignited between our joined lips.

Before I knew it... Roy had lifted me into his arms, our lips still in a dominating clash of emotions.. which continued even as he entered my house slamming the door unintentionally and lowering me back upon the couch. He hovered over me his lips becoming more aggressive now... and then...

"Am I interrupting something?"

Both Roy and I jumped, frozen as we looked up ... Komi?

"What?... what are you doing here?" I asked in confusion... my normal embarrassment of having been caught disappearing. I moved out from beneath Roy and crossed my arms before my sister. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"

Komi ignored me... directing her drunken gaze over Roy. She smiled. "Not bad..." I looked to Roy with a shrug of annoyance and found myself shoved back as Komi leapt over the couch lowering herself into the seat beside Roy. She looked to me with a smirk. "I think you were better off waiting for Grayson though... he's got more money."

My eyes widened and I could feel my impatience for her magnifying. "Komi... you belong in jail." I paused when she turned the television on ignoring me. Eyes narrowed I lifted my cell phone to my ear... which of course caught her attention immediately.

"Who are you calling?"

I smiled. "The police... who else?"

I fell back as she lunged at me, ... my phone sleeping out of my hand. She positioned her knees over my arms... a trap in which she had perfected since childhood... one that really pissed me off. Roy remained wide-eyed, unsure of whether or not he should interfere... and he didn't. I struggled beneath my sister as she grabbed my phone and ended the call.

She glared down at me now. "You fucking bitch... you would really turn your own sister in?"

I rolled my eyes. "There's no way around it Komi... eventually you will pay for what you have stolen and the acts you have..."

"Yea, yea... " she rolled her eyes lifting herself from me and looking down at my phone. "Ohhh... what have we here..." She laughed as my phone rang. "Speak of the devil..." She answered the phone with a devilish grin. "Grayson... how are you?"

My eyes widened... the sound of my heart beat quickened against the fear which developed over me.

"Where's Kori?" She laughed.

I stepped to her shaking my head frantically, my eyes pleading for her to remain silent.

She smiled back at me... and I was certain she would tell Dick about finding me and Roy together and the position she found us in on arrival. Her gaze lingered on mine and then she spoke again. "Actually... she's standing here in front of me... with..." My eyes grew even wider. "... with a fever. She came home early ... fi that's alright with you?"

I felt my entire body sigh in relief and I lowered myself back upon the couch in silence. My chest was heaving in adrenalin as Komi extended the phone down to me. Inhaling deeply I lifted it to my ear. "Hey Dick."

"So... Komi's in town?"

I released a laugh. "Yea well... it's a long story."

"I get it." He paused. "So... you disappeared on me. Are you really feeling that bad you had to go home?"

I sighed, I hated lying to him ... but I just wasn't ready for him to know about Roy... I was still coming to terms with the shift in our relationship myself. "Uh... yea... I just..." I looked to Roy as he placed a hand upon my knee... I flashed him a smile . "I couldn't focus..."

"What?"

My mind snapped back to the phone. "Oh well... I have a headache... its nothing too serious."

"Did you want you want me to..."

"No..." I said, knowing perfectly well what he was about to suggest.

"I could be there in twenty minutes... I really don't mind."

"No...just... stay at school, there's no need to leave just because I have a headache. I'm fine.. I'm just here dealing with Komi at the moment."

It was now that he gave me an unsatisfied sigh, then hung the phone up. I paused looking to Roy now... not entirely sure what to say or how to act in response to him kissing me... that definitely changes our relationship, and I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about it. I Swallowed hard as he smiled back at me. "You... you should go."

His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

I stood lifting a hand to my forehead, knowing perfectly well that Dick would show up on my doorstop in less than the estimated twenty minutes... I knew better than to actually believe he wasn't already on his way here. "It's Dick..."

"I thought you told him not to come here?"

"I did... which is exactly why he will be here soon."

"I can keep him company." Komi said, her smile lingering seductively down at Roy as she twirled a strand of hair between her fingers.

'Komi... not now." I paused looking to a frustrated Roy as he stood and headed for the door. "I'm sorry about this... I just... what ever this is between us... I can't have Dick finding out just yet."

He rolled those gorgeous blue eyes at me with a sigh. "Its like this guy owns you or something." AS my eyes narrowed, his softened, and he stepped to me, sending one last kiss to my lips. "Can I at least pick you up in the morning?"

"No." I shouted. I paused noticing the offense he had taken in my tone. I laughed. "Ha...no..."

"Right... because Dick takes you to school..."

"Obviously, lover boy..." Komi laughed... stepping to me, and shaking her head at Roy. "... and yes... you're right to assume that Grayson owns Kori... 'cuz he practically does... and believe me, when he finds out about you two..." her laugh carried on again.

I stepped outside with Roy now, closing the door behind me to shut out Komi from our conversation. I turned to him with a hesitant smile. "Ignore her... she's... Komi." I placed a hand upon my waist, realizing for the first time that i was nervous around Roy again... something that hadn't happened since I first met him. "Look,... I'm not really sure what to say here... I ... I'd ask you to come back later but... I don't know how long Dick will be here or if he's going to stay the night or.."

"He stays the night?"

I sighed, cursing at myself beneath my breath. "Not like that... just... he's very concerned about me being home alone all the time."

As Roy departed in an upset manner I sighed turning back to the house and entering.

"Well..." Komi spoke again, she looked to me with narrowed eyes. "I'm just gonna go ahead and assume you don't want Dick finding out about..." she paused her hand waving between me and the door Roy had disappeared behind."... what ever this is you two have going on?" I nodded, and as she tossed my phone back to me she stuck her nose to the air. "Good... now I have something on you and you have something on me..." she paused before entering the kitchen. "You tell anyone I'm here... and I'll make sure Grayson finds out about your little friend and the special time you spend together."

I sighed, leaning back on one of the kitchen counters... it was obvious this wouldn't last long. Komi would become easily angered at something I did and would tell Dick about Roy and I... but right now... I found myself more focused on Roy. He seemed so hurt by my behavior after he and I kissed. While I didn't blame him... it didn't change the fact that I had to compose myself before Richard would arrive... which was proving to be more difficult than I could have anticipated.

It was now that Komi continued babbling about one thing or another but I tuned her out, my thoughts remembering Roy's touch, his words... and those disappointed eyes that pleaded before me as he left. Now, I must have been so lost in thought that even time seemed irrelevant to me, because within what felt like minutes... I heard the front door open... Dick's voice sounding. My chest tightened as my nerves set in... I knew I would have to really try hard not to look suspicious around him... an issue which quickly vanished as I noticed Crystal enter the kitchen beside him. Alright... I told myself... there goes my guilt. If he could have guilt free fun with someone else... then so could I... although, I still preferred to keep it from his as long as I could.

"Nice place." Crystal said as her eyes wandered over the kitchen. She looked to me, hugging her arm tighter around Dick's waist in an obvious display of territorial possession.

I smiled, "Thanks..."

"Whose the whore of the week this time...?" I heard Komi laugh as she looked to Crystal. My eyes went wide as Crystal glared now. Komi stopped before Crystal, her eyes wandering over her. She chuckled to herself. "You could do better than this Grayson."

It was now that Dick spoke, his voice annoyed more than ever. "It's a pleasure to see you too Komi."

All remained silent as Komi stepped inf front of Dick now, her eyes smiling flirtatiously over him. "My, my, Grayson..." She shook her head, running a hand down his chest. "... let me know when you get bored playing with these pathetic girls you always find... " she paused licking at her lips. "... I'll gladly entertain you for a while."

My jealousy flared now, and before anyone could speak I did. "Komi..." her eyes did not tear from his. "... just... leave him alone alright?"

"Why would you care?" She looked to me with that scandalous gleam of hers. "... you've made it clear to me that you have other things on your mind besides Grayson."

I swallowed hard as she stepped from the kitchen in a laugh, leaving the awkward air to linger around the three of us now.

"She is such a bitch," Crystal said kissing Dick upon the cheek.

Dick looked to me with a sigh, then stepping away from Crystal he approached me. "Are you sure you're alright?"

I nodded, looking into his eyes... those eyes burning right through me. I did not need him here right now. It only distracted my mind from the main focus of this moment... Roy. I was slowly becoming more excited about my time with him... and when I would see him again. The thought of how complicated things would soon become never crossing my mind.

"Yea..." I sighed. "Just a little headache... as I said."

He nodded, Crystal making her way behind him, her arms clasped around his waist now, her chin peeking over his shoulder. I looked to her with a forced smile, then said, "Look, Dick... I told you... you didn't have to come here and..."

"I know..." he said with a smile. My heart jumped as his hand lay over mine now. "...but as it is you do owe me a rain check."

My eyes narrowed. "For what?"

He smiled, removing Crystal's hands from him now. "You ... me... a bottle of wine... and a..."

I shook my head. "Right..." I sighed, I had completely forgotten about the night, way back then, when Becca interrupted our monthly tradition of spaghetti and wine... the only problem... right now was not the time I needed to be alone with him. "Well..." i smiled at him, then back at Crystal. "... why don't we all make a night of it?"

He hesitated, his brow raising. "You, me... and Crystal?"

I laughed, he knew she didn't like me and that I was well aware of it. "Yes... we are perfectly capable of coexisting beside one another." I smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Besides... it wouldn't be nice to just kick her to the curb." I glanced to Crystal with a shrug. "Unless that;s what you want?"

I could see Dick's eyes narrow, slightly thrown off by my behavior at the moment, and to be honest, while I knew it was rather blunt... I didn't care. On the contrary ... I was hoping to piss her off enough to get her to beg Dick to leave... I really wanted to see Roy at the moment.

... speaking of Roy... he had text me right at this exact moment, instantly killing the awkwardness within the room.

I lifted my phone from my pocket...

**ROY**: _You never gave me your answer...?_

Now, while he was vague... I knew he was referring to whether or not I would be comfortable with being his girlfriend... and right now... I really was.

I must have been smiling because Dick leaned over the counter to peek at my phone with narrowed eyes. "Who put you in such a good mood?"

I jumped slightly, pulling my phone from his view and shrugging..."No one... just... order a pizza or something." My voice lowered as I placed my hands to the keys of my phone, texting Roy back. "i just need to check on Komi. I'll be... right ... back."

**KORI:** _I'll consider it..._

I ignored the awkward glance Dick had focused upon me as I exited the kitchen, running up to my room, laying back upon my bed for a moment. I wanted to enjoy this conversation with Roy.

**ROY**: _Something tells me you already know your answer..._

I smiled.

**KORI:** _If you're so certain... then why ask?_

**ROY**: _To have it confirmed_

I paused, lingering in thought. I was on dangerous ground... my next reply would either crush his heart, or crush Richard's.

**KORI**: _Dick's here and... I think it's better if we save this for another time._

There was a long wait before he text me back, and when he did I knew why... the text was longer then expected.

**ROY**:_ Just give me an answer Kori. You've teased me all week with that beautiful smile of yours... I can't wait to know. If you don't respond then I'll have no other choice then to ask you in person... I don't care if Dick's there. He's going to find out eventually... besides, he can't always have you to himself. ... say yes._

I found myself smiling again...

**KORI:** _Yes =]_

Now... as I sent this last text, I felt a part of me cringe. Not because of Roy, no Roy was amazing,... it was because I didn't know what to expect from Dick once he found out that I was actually seeing someone, and not just someone... the one person he asked me to steer clear of.

My mind jumped in excitement as my phone sounded once more.

**RACHEL:** _Where are you?_

I paused, slightly disappointed it wasn't Roy responding. Nonetheless...

**KORI**: _Home... don't feel well. Y?_

**RACHEL**_: I'll be there soon._

My eyes narrowed.

**KORI:** _Y? What's wrong_?

**RACHEL:** _If you don't have to be here then I don't either_

"Kori!" Dick's voice rang. I looked up to find him narrow eyed lingering n the door-frame of my room. "What are you doing?"

I sighed,... despite the new feelings I was enjoying for Roy... no one could make my heart beat the way Dick did. He stood there in a state of concern... obviously a result of my behavior. I swallowed hard. "I... I have something to tell you."

His smile surfaced now and he made his way to the bed, laying back beside me and taking me into his arms with a kiss to the forehead. "What is it?"

"I..." I inhaled deeply, his eyes so dreamy to me in this moment. "...I..."

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(A/N) Sorry it too so long for me to update but here's the chapter you've been waiting for =] Chapter Fourteen is already written and will be up shortly so... please remember to R/R


	14. The Light Behind Her Eyes

Chapter Fourteen: The Light Behind Her Eyes

**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

I held her tightly in my arms, sending a kiss to her forehead. "What is it?"

She looked to me with those tantalizing eyes and I could see a sense of hesitation over her, making me somewhat nervous now. Had I been too obvious with her lately? Ugh... I hated myself at this moment. She seemed so nervous... and the million of possibilities for said nervousness incessantly swarmed through my thoughts. It had been a few weeks since New York and while I had managed to control myself around Kori, only as a result of forcing myself to occupy my 'needs' with Crystal... I admit I had slowly become more aggressive with Kori... and not in a good way, at least not for me.

Sure, I could control my desires to kiss Kori and ... other things as well,... but my mind was always focused on her... always... and right now, I was certain she was about to draw attention to the fact I had been entirely more affectionate toward her lately. The truth... I knew she believed it to be merely as a result of what she had been through in New York but that didn't change the fact that I was in fact becoming more loving toward her.

I swallowed hard as those perfect lips of hers gave life to words. "I...I..."

She fell silent as her phone sounded again... her phone which I was becoming increasingly frustrated with. I was here... who could she possibly be texting. "Who is it?"

"Oh...umm... Rachel..." She replied. I believed her... and yet something in her tone made me still uneasy with her.

I paused as her thin fingers danced across the phone's keys... then, as she sent the text, lowering the phone, ... I snatched it from her grasp. Her eyes went wide so I placed it in my back pocket then hovered over her, my hands tickling at her side as she erupted in an uncontrollable spasm of laughter. She shoved back at my hands but I remained persistent.. her giggling rising to my ears in a symphony of emotion.

"Dick... I'm serious..." She yelled.

I removed my hands from her fragile figure and lowered them on either side of her and paused. I was certain I was being obvious at the moment, but her eyes had captured me once again... I remained frozen in this moment... I could feel myself staring deep into her eyes... hers remained on mine hesitant. I began lowering my lips to hers then came to an extreme halt.

"Dick!"

Crystal's voice came from behind me. I rolled my eyes, then ignoring her I looked down at Kori, sending a kiss to her cheek... my lips lingering there longer then they probably should have. AS I pulled myself off of her, helping her to her feet, I looked to Crystal now. "What's up?"

I could tell the frustration Crystal felt as I acted as though the situation she had just barged into was normal... and to some extent it was, but... things with Kori were different now. If she hadn't walked in here... I think I might have even kissed Kori again... all I knew for certain, was that my patience was thinning. There was no denying it... I wanted Kori... and I wanted her bad... cheesy? ... call it what you will but I wasn't sure how long I would be able to hold back.

"Nothing..." Crystal replied in a clearly unsatisfied manner." I just... there's someone at the door... and to be honest... I'm a little afraid to answer it."

I laughed as Kori looked to me. "That must be Rachel..."

As she stepped passed me, I gripped her arm. She paused looking to me hesitantly and I lingered in a deep gaze invading hers. I didn't say anything, nor did I give any reason for this odd behavior,... in the end,... I wanted to look into those amazing eyes of hers for one more moment before she left. And within seconds, she pulled away, heading downstairs, leaving me with Crystal who was on edge.

"What was that about?"

I shrugged. "Nothing."

I walked passed Crystal, my thoughts still swarming with the emotion Kori sent over me. My limbs were numb to her touch... a touch that captivated me unintentionally. I had struggled with Kori's ability to draw me into her and ... right now... I was brimming with the anticipation of her next touch, her next smile,... her next anything... if she was in the room with me... or even the sound of her voice when over the phone... I was drowning in her essence.

When I entered the living room, sitting myself upon the couch, I found Rachel and Kori in a quiet discussion which quickly came to a halt as they noticed my presence. I didn't pay too much attention to their secretive behavior but... as Kori sat in the only chair in the room, I felt a lump in my throat. How was I suppose to endure this movie we were about to watch without her at my side. I was accustomed to her sweet scent settling over me by now, her gorgeous hair tickling at my side, ... her close giggle as it sounded throughout a movie,... everything was brought to a halt as Crystal sat beside me. Which, I know makes me sound like an ungrateful prick... but I was alright with it... and you should be too, after all... while I was with Crystal... the entire time my mind teasing me with images of Kori.

I paused as Rachel, who sat across from Kori in the small love seat, lowered her phone from her gaze. "Apparently... Gar and Vic will be showing up any minute."

"Great... so it's all of us." Kori added with much excitement.

"Plus one..." Rachel added, directing a glare to Crystal.

I sighed... 'I get it' I thought to myself. I know no one likes Crystal and to be honest... she wasn't that much fun for me either... beyond one very satisfying activity... and yet Rachel always had to draw attention tot he fact that Crystal annoyed her. Of course, it was expected... Rachel was Rachel. She smiled, finding comfort in Crystal's discomfort in the situation.

"I propose we watch the..." I smiled to myself as Kori tucked her legs beneath her, it being very clear to me she was in thought. A luscious grip of her scarlet hair being twirled between her fingers. "... perhaps The Hangover?"

A small chuckle escaped Rachel. "I don't really care..." She looked to me. "Why don't you and Miss Priss decide."

It was now that Crystal stood in a rage,... I knew she was frightened of Rachel,... even I was in some instances,... and I knew this situation would clear itself up without my help so I would just sit back and enjoy how it all played out in front of me.

"If you have a problem with me then say so... don't result to uncalled for outbursts." Crystal whined, her voice seeming much stronger than I anticipated.

I looked to Rachel, slightly excited at her response. Her eyes remained unaffected by Crystal's sudden attempt at confidence... a brow lifted in annoyance. "I do."

Crystal hesitated. "Well..." she paused again, a hand resting upon her waist now. "... get over it. I'm with Dick Grayson ... and he loves me... and I love him and..."

She fell silent as Rachel burst into laughter... "Please... keep going..." She rolled her eyes. "This is the best display of ignorance I've ever been apart of."

I looked to Crystal...she knew I didn't love her... and if she didn't... it would be made clear soon enough. "You are such a bitch Rachel... you act as though you..."

"Hold on!" Kori said standing in an innocent manner, her brows burrowed in hesitancy. "...I don't think you're striking the proper tone Crystal. Rachel is my friend and if you think you can just..."

"Oh great... the infamous Kori Anders... of course you'd interfere." Crystal snapped. I could feel a small amount of anger rising in me now.

Kori sighed. "Look... I'm trying to get along with you Crystal ... I really am... but... you can't just talk to my friends this way..."

"It's fine Kor..." Rachel said standing... immediately resulting in Crystal taking a step back from her. Rachel smiled. "Say what you want about me... let me just let you in on a little secret... if you so much as look at Kori the wrong way..." she stepped closer to Crystal, now, her teeth gritted. "... I'll deal with you myself. "She laughed again. "You think I'm a bitch now... just wait." As Crystal fell silent Rachel returned to her seat, her voice lowering, her anger subsiding. "Now sit down and shut the fuck up. No one wants you here... so just be quiet."

Crystal did as she was told and sat beside me, throwing a small comment back to Rachel. "That's what you think."

Now this... this comment, sent Rachel into a new-found amount of hysterics. "Don't tell me you really believe Dick actually wants you here?" AS she said this I found myself laugh, she was right, I was only waiting for the moment she and I had alone... other than that... Crystal caused irritation from my friends. "If you do then you're far more lost then I thought you were."

"Enough..." Kori said sadly. "Can we not simply enjoy one night without the drama of clashing egos?"

Rachel looked to her with a sigh. "Fine... just... she gets on my nerves."

Kori nodded. "Regardless... this isn't about anything aside from ..."

"Do you really think I enjoy any of your company? " Crystal added. It was now that I realized I would have to end things with her sooner than I had planned. I would have ended things with her right now if I wasn't in dire need of ... yea... intimate altercations to relieve the desires I had about Kori...

"You?" Crystal continued. "You Rachel Roth are one of the strangest people I have ever met. You freak me out... you're just... you're fucking weird..."

"Oh you're opinion of me is soooo important to me... how will I survive a comment such as this?" Rachel laughed with an obvious amount of sarcasm.

Crystal ignored it... turning to Kori. "And you... I have heard so much about you... not just from the papers, or magazines, or the news... but you... I have experienced your pathetic..."

"Hey!" I yelled, my anger fuming now. She hadn't had the chance to finish her sentence but I knew Kori and Rachel weren't all that thrilled to hear her finish. I took her hand pulling her down to the seat beside me. "Can you just shut up and watch the movie?" I didn't wait for her to respond... I looked to Kori and sent her a warm smile. "Choose any movie you want."

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To be honest, I'm not even entirely sure what movie was on... and I was beginning to suspect no one else did either. Vic and Gar had arrived with enough pizza and alcohol for an entire party... and as the dedicated teenagers we were... we got straight to it. It had been a few hours now, and the room was loud with conversation... unfortunately even Komi had joined our fun.

We all remained in the living room, scattered around the coffee table... empty cans of beer and half eaten pizza decorated before us. I knew I was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol now, ... my mind still focused on Kori's beauty. It was always a fun experience to be around her when she was drinking. Her giggles and movements seemed more dramatized and ... well... that blinding light that emanated from her eyes would stoop to a more devious gaze... one I learned long ago I was defenseless against.

"I do not think that is what it meant." Kori giggle, casting a wave of her hair behind her as she looked to Gar. "Terra seems like a... nice girl... but perhaps you are being to forward with her."

Gar rolled his heavy eyes. He was still his goofy self, the mixture of alcohol only magnifying his personality. "Terra is ... she is..."

"She's annoying if you ask me." Rachel mouthed off into the distance as she turned her gaze to the hallway.

There was a brief silence, one I spent casually removing Crystal's hands from me as she continued to paw me in a seductive manner. It was clear she had been feeling the alcohol for some time now, but I just wasn't ready to leave just yet. My eyes focused on Kori again.

"I think..." She began, lowering the beer can from her lips... a small hiccup escaping her. "I think you should not push Terra into anything too serious..." I smirked to myself as I caught her pass a glance to Rachel, who in turn narrowed her eyes in a glare of warning. Kori cleared her throat, coming to a pause as Komi interrupted.

"I wonder why you would have such strong feelings about the situation." My eyes narrowed as Komi directed her dark gaze to a now nervous Kori. "It's not as though you've had any experience in the matter of relationships. ... or do you?"

I my gaze slowly moved to Kori's. The look upon her face rose suspicion in me... she looked... guilty. Of what?... I don;t know, I just was not enjoying the stammering mess she had become. Kori paused, setting aside her beer and pouring a shot of tequila which Komi had been occupying the past few hours. My suspicion in Kori set in further as she cringed slightly at the harshness of the alcohol and returned her nervous demeanor toward Komi, lowering her voice.

"We had a deal."

It was now that my mind shifted from the conversation as my phone sounded. I rolled my eyes, it had to be Bruce... everyone else was sitting right here with me. I lifted my phone... nothing. My confusion shattered as a phone vibrated within my pocket. I remembered now, that I still had Kori's phone in my possession. I passed a quick glance back at Kori... good, she remained focused entirely on Komi now. Now,... I knew perfectly well that I was about to invade Kori's personal business... but I didn't care. I needed to know what was going on with her.

**ROY:** _Did he leave yet_?

An unexplainable amount of anger rose in me. Roy..? This was the reason Kori had been in such a good mood earlier? I looked to her once more, hiding the phone in my pocket then standing. I made my way to the kitchen, denying Crystal as she motioned to follow me. I was pacing... it was one thing to be in contact with Roy, ... it was an entirely other, if Kori was keeping it from me. I wasn't sure what to take from this text, it was too vague. All I knew is that Kori was lying to me about who she had been spending her time with... the whispered conversation between her and Rachel earlier became clear to me now.

I paused setting her phone down upon the counter in front of me. I was contemplating my move... or if I should have one in the first place. I leaned my hands upon the counter trying to calm the anger I felt. My thoughts were colliding with the many scenarios of Kori and Roy together... which didn't help my anger. Why? Why was she even talking to him...? Why did she keep it from me...? Why was she lying to me... Kori didn't lie?... and more importantly... why was this mother fucker trying to make plans with Kori this late in the night.

Sure... I suppose it wasn't that late... I looked to the clock... 6:30 pm... alright so not late at all... but still. The fact that Kori, my Kori, was lying to me sent me into a hurricane of conflict with myself and my emotions. My mind drew a blank as Kori entered the kitchen with worried eyes.

"What's wrong?"

I looked to her, my anger blatantly displayed upon my face. I glared into her oblivious eyes ... I had never looked at her with so much distaste. I was seeing her in a different... skewed light. She wasn't the least bit innocent to me at the moment. I paused, then without saying a word I tossed her phone to her, leaving her alone in the kitchen.

She remained there for a short while then returned to the living room with the rest of us... her composure submerged clearly in guilt and regret. I ignored her though, continuing the night with the rest of the others... not one word to her.

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I looked to the clock sitting upon the guest room desk across from the bed in which Crystal and I lay in.

2:30 am

Crystal had long since been asleep, ... something I could not quiet my mind long enough to do. I sighed heavily... my ears sparking at the sound of a soft knock on the door. If I had been asleep there was no way I wold have heard it... but as I said, I was wide awake. I hesitated... I knew I would find Kori on the other side of the door, her puppy dog eyes cowering before me... her lips anxious with an explanation. The issue wasn't whether I was mad at her or not, which of course I was,... but that I was hurt. It sounds pathetic and childish... but its how I truly felt.

Kori didn't lie to me, nor did she sneak around behind my back with someone I had made clear I never wanted her to be around,... and ... she definitely didn't come knocking at my door at this hour when she knew I was with someone. This last part... only frustrated me more... mainly because I knew she had to be guilty of something she really knew was wrong.

Standing I pulled my jeans on stepped to the door. I paused staring at its moonlight glow which emanated from it. I wasn't sure I wanted to see her at the moment... I mean, obviously I would never deny her anything... but, I was afraid of what she would tell me was going on between her and Roy. If it was what I was regretting, she would tell me they had been seeing each other for some time now, and ... while I would be furious... what could I do? Losing her right now is far worse than anything I could imagine. Since she was attacked in New York I had this unsubsiding feeling in which I could not ignore. I wanted to be around her all the time... and if that meant I would have to endure her being around Roy,... then I would just have to learn to deal.

I took in a long drawn out sigh, then tossing a quick glance back at a still sleeping Crystal, I stepped out of the room. I closed the door behind quietly and looked to find Kori who had begun making her way back down the hall. She paused looking to me with a terrified smile, almost as if she was hoping I was asleep.

I hesitated once more, running a hand through my hair. Then, inhaling deeply I extended a hand in her direction. She paused, then accepting it, she followed as I led her down stairs and out into the night. We sat at her back porch,... the chilled night waking both of us instantly.

"I... I..." she stuttered. "You shouldn't have done what you did. You can't interfere with my personal..."

"I don't care." I said in a gruff tone, openly displaying my frustration in the situation.

She sighed, looking up to the stars. "Dick,... I... there are no words to even begin explaining. "

"Try."

She looked to me now with a pleading gaze, but I remained unflinching. She drew another heavy sigh from her lips then said, "Roy and I... we've been spending time... that's all."

I knew she was lying... I could tell from the moment her eyes wandered to the night sky again.

"Until... recently."

"What are you saying?" I growled. "Are you saying you're actually with this prick?" All of my fears became realized as she looked to me with that gaze... a gaze I could read instantly. Her answer was clear enough to me,... she didn't need to answer,... her eyes had already sold her out. I lowered my head into my hands. I know I probably looked pathetic at this moment, but I didn't care... not right now. I was losing her... to Roy of all people. My eyes moved frantically upon the wooden patio below me. "Good..." I said inhaling deeply. I looked to her as she stared back at me hesitantly. I shrugged. "... I'm happy for you."

I stood to leave, then paused as she pulled back on my arm. "Dick... I don't understand why you're upset about this. Its... it's not a big deal... I mean... I'm allowed to be with someone."

My gaze lingered upon hers... I was far too upset to show any emotion to her right now. I was afraid if I did... I might lose control. "No... go ahead Kori. I'm fine with it."

Her eyes narrowed and she stood now, stepping to me. "This doesn't change anything." I felt my chest tighten as she lifted her soft hand to my cheek with a smile. "I'm still yours Dick." She shrugged, an adorable giggle escaping those lips of perfection. "I always will be. It'll just be the way you and your girlfriends are." As she said this I tense up, my anger brimming now. "Things aren't going to change between us. I'll still be here... around you... all the time."

I nodded... it was all I could bring myself to do in this moment. My eyes involuntarily closed and I felt my body succumb to a shudder as she raised herself upon her tiptoes and kissed me... no not on the cheek, not on the forehead... her lips kissed at mine in a heavenly peck. Before I could even return myself to reality,... her hand was on mine. She led me into the house once more... pausing at the end of the hallway before her door. She opened her door and looked to me nervously.

"Stay with me?"

No matter how drawn I was to her right now... no matter how angry I was... how jealous I felt... of Roy of all people... I could never deny her anything. I stepped into the room, shutting the door behind us and taking my place beside her on the bed. My senses ignited in a frenzy as she pulled my hand around her waist as she backed her small figure into me, her luscious hair falling just before my face, her fragrance consuming me... now... now I could sleep. As for Roy... I'd deal with him later.


	15. What Goes Around

Chapter Fifteen: **What Goes Around...**

**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

Alright... so obviously there was some sort of tension occurring between Dick and Kori. Call it a hunch but as I stood beside Dick and Crystal just outside school, I could tell from his demeanor that he was nothing but pissed off. I wasn't sure why... or if I even cared at the moment, but in the end not even his attempt to shield his eyes with his black shades could distract the mind from the obvious... something had happened between Kori and Dick that had him in a mood.

I was certain it had something to do with the fact that Kori had been spending time with Roy a lot... and I mean a lot. Since we came back from New York, Roy was all over kori... all the time. And while she denied him her friendship for a while... eventually she gave. Not that I blame her... if Dick was too scared to initiate his oh so obvious feelings for Kori... then he didn't deserve her in my opinion, and that in no way means she had to wait around for him. As it were,... her naive mind could not comprehend the obvious signals Dick had sent her in moments of weakness... the entire scenario, for me,... was becoming nothing short of annoying.

...annoying right up until I spotted Kori arrive just now. My eyes widened as she pulled up on the back of Roy's bike. My interest was immediately sparked. I looked to Dick... no, he hadn't noticed them yet... and it was probably for the best... Kori handed her helmet to Roy, who in turn accepted it and drew her in for a kiss. Now,... I'm sure its clear that I am currently thriving off this moment.. the entire scene like a movie for me right now... but it's only because it served as the best distraction for my own problems... which unfortunately were stabbing at my mind constantly.

My eyes were snapping back and forth between Kori and Roy who approached slowly, and Dick, who had still yet to notice them. I may not be one for drama,... but this was Kori... she didn't date. The truth... I was proud she had finally taken a leap... sure it was a leap in the opposite side of where Dick was... but this alone made it all the better.

She stepped to us, looking as adorable as she always did in her preppy outfit. This was it... Dick's head turned in their direction. I smiled to myself as he clenched his fists in annoyance... and I just knew behind those pursed lips his teeth were grinding in frustration. What surprised me... he didn't say anything... he didn't _do_ anything. He just remained there frozen in a rage as the two walked hand in hand toward us.

"Hey... Kori..." I said awkwardly.

She looked to me with a smile, but her mind was more focused on Dick. Her nervousness surfacing as she looked to him. "Hey Dick."

It sounded like more of a question ... but either way, I'm certain it would have resulted in the same reply. Dick nodded, and from the angle I was at, I noticed his blue eyes trail down to the new couples joined hands, from behind his shades.

"Roy Harper..." Crystal's obnoxious voice sounded.

I looked to Roy now, observing him in my silence. He was actually very handsome... he was no Richard but he was easily worthy of Kori's affection. He stood in a leather jacket over a red shirt, a pair of faded jeans and a pair of converse... it was not that my mind realized he was actually a lot like Dick. They both dressed in the same fashion, sported the same ride, same blue eyes... and... now I understood why Kori was so taken with him. He was Dick... except, as far as we knew... he wasn't an ass. In the end, I was happy for Kori, she deserved some happiness aside from the moody one she found herself with daily, with our group. I wasn't one to match her overly excited personality, ... Gar, he was too much for anyone most of the time,... Vic, he was always busy with Karen, she had him wrapped around his finger... and Dick... well, in my opinion, he was getting everything he deserved right now. If he wanted Kori, all he would have to do is bat those eyes at her and she would be... but since he refused to take the leap... Kori made one of her own.

Roy smiled at Crystal... a charming smile. "Crystal... yea, I've heard a lot about you."

The awkwardness in the situation was completely obvious to everyone, even those who randomly walked passed us... and I loved every minute of it. Call me crazy, but I seemed to find awkwardness entirely too fascinating... I found humor in it even.

My brow raised as Roy looked to Dick, now. He hesitated in his words, then said, "Hey Dick..."

The anger on his face was nothing short of perfection. We all knew,... even Crystal... that Dick was not happy with this moment, and while he was doing his best to endure the moment... there was no way he wanted to actually become friends with Roy.

Dick hesitated, not in nervousness... no... in anger. He knew he would have to choose his words carefully as to not upset Kori... and what I couldn't understand is what made him want to withhold his true feelings. Nothing ever stopped him before. Now, before Dick could speak... and after a brief silence... Kori cleared her throat speaking... anticipating Dick's anger which would follow if he in fact had to speak with Roy.

She stepped back at an angle, taking Roy's hand into both of hers nervously, her eyes cast down at the ground. "Well... we should go. Don't want to be late."

As the two walked away I looked to Dick, his eyes focused on watching them enter the school, his scowl never subsiding... well,... until I chuckled to myself. He snapped his gaze to mine. "What?"

I shrugged. "Nothing... nothing that isn't already obvious to everyone here."

I left no room for him to argue with me, which I'm confident he would have loved at a time like this. I stepped into the school, catching up to Kori with a sigh. "Well... you've managed to piss one person off today, and school hasn't even started yet." I gave her a slight elbow to her side. "Good for you."

She paused looking to Roy. "Hey,... I'll see you later alright?" As he vanished... so did that bubbly smile. It melted into an hysteric frown. "I don't know what to do."

I rolled my eyes. "You haven't done anything wrong."

She shook her head. "Come on Rachel... you saw Dick... you saw how upset he was. I... I don't know if I can continue this...I..."

"Fuck that." I snapped, tossing a book into my locker and pulling my hood over my head. "Look... I told you, you haven't done anything wrong. If Dick wants to act like a child then let him..." I shrugged. "... he'll get over it."

"You don't understand..."

"Oh, believe me I do..." I sent her a smile, which immediately seemed to soften her mood. I continued as we walked down the hallway now. "Look, Dick has no reason to be upset with you."

"Yes but he clearly is."

I rolled my eyes... I wasn't one to talk about something like this for too long, and was glad when we finally reached our class. I paused before the door. "So what..." she paused flinching slightly as if I had hit her upside the head. "... I'm glad he's upset...maybe now he'll appreciate your 'friendship' more."

As I laughed she gave me a glare... which I easily ignored, tuning in as the teacher began speaking. It was quiet for a moment between her and I, but I could see Kori fidgeting with herself the entire time. She was doing that annoying thing again... you know the one... where she becomes so enveloped in her own thoughts that everything around her ceases to exist.

I ignored her as best I could but once I noticed her reach for her phone I looked to her. "No... I don't think so."

She hesitated, her eyes moving frantically over my expression. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you dare do what you're thinking. Let him suffer."

She exhaled slowly, her mind not fully pleased with my take on the moment. She paused staring down at her phone in anticipation. "But... you saw him Rachel ... I should text him... see if he's ok."

I rolled my eyes. "Do what you want Kori. I'm just saying..." I paused as the teacher looked to me narrow eyed. I rolled my eyes then pulled my phone from my pocket to continue speaking with Kori... which let me just draw attention to... most of the teachers in this school had no issue,... in fact, it seemed as though they even preferred us texting rather than talking. Maybe because they didn't appreciate being interrupted, but why then would it be alright for us to text, obviously ignoring them anyway. Regardless...

**RACHEL**:_ If you text Dick, then you're willingly offering yourself to be apart of this game he's playing with you... DONT_.

I paused as Kori finished reading my text then looked to me confused.

**KORI**: _What game are you talking about?"_

I rolled my eyes.. why even bother helping her if she was so ignorant of his ways. It surprised me that she could read Dick merely by an expression on his face.. they finished each others sentences sometimes, but when it came to something like this she was still completely numb and oblivious to the way he always drew her back into his keep.

I paused looking to her irritated, the thought of dropping the subject all together crossing my mind. But I knew I couldn't, and I knew if I did, Kori would end up feeling so guilty about this situation she would probably end things with Roy, shattering her only chance at freedom from Richard's constant grasp around her. Don't get me wrong... I almost would prefer Dick and Kori as a couple merely because they practically were in my eyes, and while I was secretly rooting for him... this moment was perfect. If anything it would be the slap across the face he needed to realize Kori wasn't eternally his... not unless he decided to make a move.

**RACHEL:** _Kori... trust me on this. You text him and he's going to give you a guilt trip about losing you... when he hasn't. You're entitled to your own life outside of Dick's world._

**KORI**:_ So I just leave him alone?_

I sighed.

**RACHEL**: _Let him come to you first. I guarantee he's hoping for you to text him... so don't._

I looked to Kori as she returned her phone to her pocket with much hesitation. I gave her a confident nod then gave my attention to our rambling teacher who was completely off topic at the moment.

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When the bell rang I lifted myself from my seat, pausing as the rush of my peers stormed out the door. Kori followed me, both of us greeted, now, in the hallway by... my problem at the moment... Gar... but he wasn't alone, he had that attention seeking girl Terra at his side. If it isn't obvious I wasn't very fond of this girl... in fact I would rather enjoy wiping that smirk across her face right off.

She faced me, her smirk gleaming. "Rachel..."

I ignored her, looking to Gar. "English?"

He nodded looking to Terra now, with his eager... pathetic... ridiculously obvious eyes... "I'll see you during the lunch... alright?"

I arched a brow in irritation as Terra flung her long blond hair from her face. "Alright... see you then dude."

Gar looked to Kori now. "So... I heard you and Roy were a couple... that's cool."

I enjoyed this moment, for Kori had actually taken my advice and instead of cowering in nerves, actually lifted her chest in a deep inhaled then said, "Yes... I am very happy about it."

Gar nodded, then looked to me with an annoying roll of his eyes. He threw and arm around me as Kori left and sighed. "Well... it's just you and me I guess. Hey... what are you doin' after school? I was thinking maybe..."

"No..."

"Huh?" he said looking to me confused. "I didn't even get the chance to tell you what I was thinking."

Shoving his arm away from me I continued down the hallway. "Don't need to hear it... my answers gong to be no either way."

Sure, I guess you could say I was slightly more on edge around Gar, for obvious reasons in which you already know so I will not waste my time choking out an explanation, but... still... I didn't know why I pushed him away. He was annoying... loud... extremely UN-funny... the list goes on... and yet... I don't know, I don't even think my temper was a result, entirely, of him,... but rather Terra. There was something I didn't like about her... and it would only continue to worsen, especially since Gar had basically invited her to everything our group of friends did now.

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(**Dick Grayson's POV**)

Nothing... I stared down at my phone since I last saw Kori... and nothing. I wasn't sure what game she was playing, or that it was even her pulling the strings in the first place. I could have sworn I saw Rachel talking to her quite forcefully within the hallway earlier. I could be wrong,... and to be honest I didn't care otherwise... what I knew, was that Kori was avoiding me. And sure, I realize I told her I was happy for her and Roy,... the memory of these words as they came from me... it made me gag. She knew I wasn't happy for her, and I knew she wasn't happy with him... or maybe I don't know as much as I think I do. The reality of the situation was that my mind was far too clouded with anger and regret to make any logical assumption at the moment.

Anger, obviously because I wanted nothing more than to give Roy the beating I always wanted to, and regret... regret... I couldn't explain. I was clearly being selfish with Kori and while all of you know that I have no intentions of voicing my feelings for Kori... that didn't mean I didn't want to.. Which, of course this whole situation is becoming one big mind fuck for me... I mean... I wasn't just angry with Roy...no, I was angry at myself for not being able to keep Kori from slipping through my fingers and running to Roy,... but I was also upset with Kori. And, I realize this might sound... confusing... or... maybe even lacking any sense at all... but before... when I saw Kori I was frustrated because of all these pent-up feelings for her which I could not act on. And now... I was angry at her because she wasn't mine... not at all.

I kept telling myself it was only a matter of time until she would leave this guy, and I would have every reason to defend her against him... which I was looking forward too. And yet... each time I saw her with him a little piece me died... anger and regret filling the cracks. She seemed... dare I say... happy? Not content... not sufficient... no,... she seemed happy. That smile... that heavenly smile which once belonged to me, and could only be found being sent in my direction ... it was now his. Which I'm sure sounds like another teenage dramatization of the situation... but again, everything with Kori and I was different in the grand scheme of things, friendship wise, it always had been and always would be.

I could feel myself in this internal fight against my own emotions. The illogical side of my brain, the side deprived of reality,... was screaming for me to just grab her... sweep her off her feet and make the move I'd been silently contemplating in my dreams. And yet, the logical side of my brain,... the stronger, more dominating thoughts... they told me to just keep admiring her from the distance. After all it's what I had always done... but then again, my illogical side would constantly peek through, reminding me of where this got me.

In the end, I was the best friend... and all the closeness we shared, innocent embraces and nights spent sleeping in each others arms... they would soon fade. I don't know, maybe I am thinking too much about this... but... how could I not?

"She's not going to text you." I heard a monotone voice sound beside me.

I looked to Rachel, quickly placing my phone in my pocket. I glanced around the classroom,... it was empty... even the teacher had left... and I was still here... consumed in my own torturous thoughts. I cleared my throat looking to Rachel and noticing a smirk beneath that guarded exterior.

"What's so funny?"

She shrugged, her violet eyes teasing me with obvious withheld information. "Are you coming to lunch or should I just let you get back to ... whatever you were doing?"

I ran a hand through my hair... a heavy sigh escaping me. Gathering my things, I followed Rachel into the hallway, ... I was silent... she however was taunting me with suspicious glances in which I attempted to ignore. It bothered me though... I knew why she was so smug in this moment.

We entered the food court, the volume of those around us instantly rising. My eyes scanned around the area for Kori... but she wasn't there... not yet at least. I joined Rachel at the table, Crystal finding her way to me within a few minutes. Everyone around me was in conversation ... conversation that echoed around me in a dazed, drawn out muffle of unrecognizable voices. I hated this... I hated feeling like this... I hadn't been submerged in an emotion such as this in a long time. The last time was as a result of Kori too... just like now... only, this time... it seemed as though there was nothing that would be able to stop it... that it would just keep going, getting worse each day.

I'm not going to say I was depressed about this whole Roy and Kori thing... I wouldn't allow myself that escape route. No... I was angry... I told myself. Which was partially true, and yet no amount of the anger I felt could shed light to the pain which had surfaced in my chest as Kori's giggle stabbed at my thoughts sharply. I turned... she was still a short distance away, approaching the table in which we all sat at slowly... yes, Roy at her side.

It surprised me I was able to hear her approaching, for not that I wasn't drowning head first in my thoughts... I could barely hear her now... which only proved I needed to get my mind off of her. The tightness in my chest strained even harder as Roy pulled out a chair for her, Kori sitting in her adorable bounciness. I felt myself swallow hard, lowering my gaze to my cast... trying to focus on my mind on the fact that I only had to wear this damn thing for a few more hours... but it didn't help... her voice was too toxic to me to ignore.

I wasn't sure what she was talking about, all I could focus on was her excitement. Each time she laughed it sent chills through me... which quickly came to a halt each time Roy placed a hand upon her. It was now that I took great appreciation for my sunglasses for I was certain I was narrow eyed the entire time.

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By the time the day ended, school that is... it was only about to be 4 pm... I stopped by the Manor hoping Kori would show. Now, ... while she said nothing between us would change, and I wanted to believe it but knew it was impossible, things had already changed as far as I was concerned, and it didn't matter that it was only in my own mind... the fact was... it was different now.

I waited for a long time... then, showing up late to my appointment, I sat before the nurse in with a scowl. I felt like a child now... upset because I didn't get my way. Even as the nurse spoke to me in a flirtatious manner, I couldn't focus... I didn't speak at all... only an occasional nod here and there to shut her up.

The drive home was obnoxious... my mind was running circles around what would have been so important for Kori to miss my appointment. I wouldn't have mind going alone... but she had insisted it was important to her. Anyway... I was thinking far too much... I needed to get Kori off my mind. So I did what I do best... I called Crystal. When I arrived at the Manor she stood there in her usual slutty attire... which was something I had grown to like... after all it was far easier to remove.

As I stepped from my car, I stepped to her with undefined urgency,... for her, not me... I knew perfectly well why. Bruce was in town for the rest of the night and Alfred was busy when I left, and he said he would be for the majority of the evening, so I took it as the house being empty... which it basically was. Usually if Alfred heard me shuffling around with someone he would divert his presence immediately... which I had grown to appreciate.

The moment I reached Crystal, my lips were against hers. She cooperated just as I wanted and expected from her. My lips never leaving hers in a riot of emotion I forced her passed the threshold of the Manor and backed her into a distant corner. Our lips took a pause as I peeled her skin tight shirt over her head, our lips at it once more. I lowered a hand to her waist, the other aggressively attached to the back of her neck as I kept her right where I wanted her. I could feel the excitement of the moment rise as I felt her hands remove themselves from around me and lower to my belt. I kissed at her neck now, trailing down to her collar bone as she unbuckled the latch of my belt... and then... before anything else could happen... I heard a familiar squeal sound beside me.

My eyes widened as I turned to find Kori, her cheeks flushed and eyes looking horrified back at me. "Kori!"

"No... I ... I'm so sorry I..."

I fumbled with my footing slightly as I tried to go after her as she stepped toward the door. I growled in frustration as I quickly redid the buckle on my belt, making it easier for me to walk now. I paused as Crystal pulled at my arm to prevent me from leaving.

"Come on just let her go."

I ignored her comment, taking to the door, and stepped outside. I found Kori in a panicked walk toward her car which I hadn't noticed until now. I rolled my eyes, then called after her... which she pretended she didn't hear.

"Kori!" I yelled again as I was now a few feet behind her.

She turned back to me, unable to look me in the eyes. Her voice cracked as she spoke now. "I... I'm so... sooo... sorry. I..." She lifted a hand to her forehead. "I... I thought you had the appointment today." She inhaled deeply, then raised a shaky hand, motioning to my cast free arm. "I see you ... you already ummmm..." she paused as I stepped closer to her.

"That was a while ago... after a while I just assumed you weren't coming." I snapped. I was no longer embarrassed in this moment,... my anger and feelings of jealousy and hurt surfaced now. "I waited..."

It was now that those emotional eyes focused on mine. "I... I just... I lost track of time. I was hoping you hadn't left yet."

I shrugged. "I did."

There was an awkward silence... one I spent with eyes wandering over her as if I had not seen her in years.

"I should go..."

... and as much as I didn't wanted to see her go,...as she did... I did my best to ignore the unsettling amount of rage and pain I felt... this entire moment served nothing more... to my mind... as a metaphor for our relationship as it now stood... in shambles... her walking away and me left to my thoughts.

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(A/N) Alright... here it is, chapter fifteen... I had a lot of fun with this one. I think we all love the jealousy Richard Grayson has for Kori... which there is definitely more of that on the way. For those of you still reading after all this time... I thank you yet again... please R/R... much appreciated =]


	16. A Pause of Epic Proportions

Chapter Sixteen:** A Pause of Epic Proportions**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

What... the hell... was happening around me? I'm finding myself conflicted with not just my own thoughts but... everything... _everything_...

I had just witnessed a pretty dramatic scene from my best friend. He was practically clawing at Crystal when I stopped before him in the Manor. My eyes went wide... unintentionally noticing his pants were ... well... belt-less and on the move toward the floor. I was so surprised to see him so passionate about his time with Crystal that I almost couldn't look away. I felt myself squeal like an innocent child at the sight of them all over one another. Now, if it had been anyone... _anyone_ else... I don't think it would have effected me so... but this was Dick. Sure I had seen him lip locked more times than I can even count... but seeing him in a heated moment like this... and then him going after me when I tried to separate myself from the situation... ugh, I don't know... he seemed like an entirely different person. I mean, I always knew he slept with the girls he dated, ... it was obvious... and he didn't go out of his way to hide this fact... and yet... I somehow never pictured him so... passionate. This alone made my mind wander... maybe he really did like Crystal? After all she was the longest girlfriend he had ever had. I found that I wasn't so much surprised at finding him in such an act... no I was... jealous. Which of course upset me because I had Roy... I shouldn't be feeling this way, not so early in a relationship. I felt...

I slammed on my breaks, almost running a red light. I froze... my mind was too crowded right now for me to be driving. I found it difficult to focus on the road ahead of me... and I felt rushed to get as far from the Manor as I could.

My eyes glanced at the signal light... still red. I brought my forehead down, resting it upon the steering wheel in a slow exhale. My eyes clasped shut trying to burn to ash the memory of Dick and Crystal together. A loud honk from a car behind me brought my gaze to the road again... I needed something to clear my mind. It was Friday night... how could I spend it in the current mood I was in. I knew I could call Roy and he would rush to my house... more than happy to distract me... but... I didn't want that right now. I needed... I don't even know what I really needed, but I had decided to take a page from the Rachel Roth handbook and just spend my night alone.

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I entered my empty house... Komi said she would be gone this weekend, and while I didn't really care... a part of me wished she was here. For some odd reason in which I will never understand... when she would tell me I was an idiot and pathetic when it came to Richard... sometimes it would ease my mind a little... I thought, maybe I was being too dramatic in certain instances.

I sighed, tossing my purse upon the couch and released a sigh... the high ceiling echoing along with my stressed outburst. When I was home alone this house always seemed so strange to me, as if I hadn't spent every day here since I was a child. I don't know, something about the silence brought out the unexplained creaking of certain floors as I stepped over them, ... when I entered the kitchen the very noise of the refrigerator seemed odd to me. I don't know why I'm even explaining this... but... I guess I was really just trying to figure out what I was going to do with myself.

I sighed again... lowering myself to the bar stool against one of the taller granite counter tops, leaning my body over it with ... yet another sigh. My mind was racing again... still... I wasn't sure it ever really came to an honest halt... and then my phone rang. As it's melody sounded around me I felt a sense of further frustration. I didn't even look to see who was calling as I instantly shut it off and disposed of it in one of the kitchen drawers... now hopefully I just don't forget where I left it later...

Silence... nothing but silence... silence which I was quickly becoming impatient with. How did Rachel ever do this for an entire hour let alone an entire day sometimes... I wasn't sure. I was quickly fading from sanity as it were. Tapping my nails crazily against the counter top I growled slightly, then stood. I stepped to the large cabinet to my left and pulled the door open and smiled... thanks to Komi this was always stocked with hard liquor.

I pulled a large bottle of tequila and margarita mix from the cabinet and gathered the ingredients around the large blender near the sink. The silence though... was still driving me crazy. Pausing from my project I stepped to a small flat screen which hovered over the dinning room table just outside the kitchen. I flipped through the channels until I reached the music channel, then, quickly re-wiring the back of it I connect the television to the surround sound speakers which were scattered around the kitchen as well as the dinning room. I made my way into the kitchen again, the music adding a pep in my step. I was smiling now, stopping before the blender and getting to work on my Margarita concoction.

As I flipped the blender on, it sounded with a loud crunching and vibrating cycle, while I danced to myself enjoying the music more than I thought I would.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

I jumped... my senses igniting in shock as I looked back at Komi. Ignoring the obvious embarrassment I felt, I quickly shut the blender down and released a laugh. "What are you doing here?"

It was now that I noticed a large purple suitcase behind her which I could see at an angle at the front door. I became nervous as she stepped to me with narrow eyes. "Bad day?"

I was slightly thrown off by her comment. "Ummm... no, I guess it was fine."

She stepped to the blender and tasting the Margarita she cringed, releasing a grunt of distaste. "This... this is awful..." She paused lifting the tequila over the blender now, and releasing a long stream of its contents into the mixture. I could see her pass a glance back at me but I wasn't sure what to take from it... it was definitely new to me... "Here..." she poured two large glasses and handed one to me. "Try it now."

I paused, my eyes moving over her expression... "Why are you being nice to me?"

She rolled her eyes with a smirk upon her face. "I heard about what happened." She shrugged. "I could be my usual bitch self if you prefer it. I just figured you might want some quality time..." Her eyes narrowed on mine. "... it isn't very often I'm in a giving mood."

I found myself smile then came to a halt. "Wait... what do you mean you heard what happened? What are you talking about?"

She shrugged. "It's all over the news." She paused taking a large gulp of her Margarita. "You're dating that Harper kid."

My eyes narrowed. "And? How is that bad news?"

She looked to me with a laugh now, brushing her long black hair behind her. "You don't have to hide it from me, baby sister. I know what's going on here."

I took my Margarita in hand and followed her into the living room. "I still don't know what you're..."

"Come on... if you're dating someone who isn't Grayson... that can only mean one thing. ... you're sulking in the kitchen all alone because he's upset with you."

"He's not upset with me. We just..." I paused as she laughed and leaned back into the couch, her lips on the Margarita again. "... I'm serious... " I didn't want to believe Dick was mad at me... I knew he was upset ... but with me? "No,... he even told me he was happy for me."

"Please do not tell me you are this delusional?"

My mind receded now, replaying everything that had occurred with Dick today... and... aside from meeting him at his house... nothing had happened. It was now that I realized Komi was... right? I mean... was she? True Dick had no reason to honestly be upset with me but... he didn't usually follow any unspoken truths and the rules that applied. I felt my body shrink into a slouch as I sat beside Komi now. "What do I do?"

She looked to me and for the first time since we were kids... she seemed as though she truly cared. A small amount of excitement erupted in her and she leaned forward now. "When life gets you down... do what I do..." She smiled. "... party."

"Party?" I hesitated... "Isn't that kind of what we're already doing?"

She laughed shaking her head. "Not high school partying..." she shrugged. "Well... I did, but not you... you 'celebrate and mingle with friends'... no, I'm talking about partying."

I shrugged. Becoming nervous as she stood. "Finish your Margarita... we're leaving this whole depressed attitude of yours in the past. This weekend... its you and me."

"The whole weekend?"

"Just finish the fucking drink!" She shouted before vanishing into the kitchen.

Believe it or not... it was hours later... how long precisely? I didn't know... I think I was far too gone by now to notice anything other than that the sun had set. Which... this entire moment was far too out of character for me. I wasn't one to get wasted to the point where I couldn't think. ... and it was because of this fact that I actually found myself enjoying my time with Komi... My mind... it was clear. Or, perhaps that's the wrong choice of words... it wasn't so much that it was clear, no, it was that it wasn't running circles around all the problems I was faced with in my life. All that crossed my mind at the moment was that the margaritas Komi had continued to bring me continued to get stronger. I was certain the tequila bottle was almost gone, not that I knew for sure.

Komi was right though... it was me and it was her, no one else... we had moved the couches in the living room back against the walls and gathered around the center of the living room, sitting upon the carpet in a wave of laughs as we watched... I paused looking to the television... well, I know what movie it is but for some reason right now I can't think of the title... what you need to know is that its hilarious.

And while, earlier, I had caught my reflection in a passing mirror when I used the restroom, noticing I looked like hell. My hair... honestly I don't know what I did to make it frizz up in certain places, while other parts were sticky, fuming with the smell of tequila... my eyes were red and dropping ... yet... knowing all this, and the fact that Komi didn't look any better,... I was actually enjoying myself ... with her of all people.

We sat in the center of the living room and my stomach was killing me... I was hungry and I needed something too...

"Here try this..." Komi said handing me a small brownie. Now, I'm sure I would have noticed the smirk upon her face had I not been so consumed by alcohol, but I accepted it. When I finished eating it, Komi erupted in laughter. "Wow... this is gonna be fun."

My eyes... well they tried to narrow, I'm not certain it was at all a successful attempt. I watched as she partook of a brownie herself. "What...umm... what do you mean?"

She laughed again choking slightly on her desert then shook her head at me. "Don't worry about it."

I shrugged this off, naturally, and we returned to the movie. It would be a good half hour before my mind completely shifted into a dreamy like state. I looked to Komi to find she had eager eyes on me. I opened my mouth to speak but receded into uncontrollable laughter. I wasn't sure why... but everything was funny right now. When I looked back to the television the credits of the movie were rolling now.. and yet I felt extremely drawn to them. My eyes scanned over the names and titles of each character as I tried to read them as quickly as I could. I heard Komi laughing beside me but I didn't pay attention to it.

"I'm going to order a pizza alright..?" I nodded my eyes never leaving the screen.

As she said this I felt a very unsettling feeling inside rise up in me. The thought of food made me want to ...

I ran to the bathroom, the hallway never seeming so long to me now. I could feel the ground move beneath me in an uneven, constant speed I could not keep up with. I knew it was a result of my present state, and as the lump in my throat brimmed now, I collapsed to my knees over the toilet. My entire body shook in an unnatural, uncomfortable manner, my body straining as the actions of my day with Komi spilled from my mouth. I was definitely not going to be continuing my time with her tomorrow. To be honest I didn't want to be in my own house anymore. I knew where I wanted to be... and who I wanted to be with... and yet things seemed too awkward between him and I right now... I think you know who I mean.

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**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

"What are you doing here?" Rachel said looking down at me from her front porch as I approached her.

"I just... I needed to talk to you."

"Me?" Before she could slam the door on my face I stepped into her making her draw back with a sigh. "I can't help you Dick. There's nothing I can say to..."

I shut the door behind us with a slam. "You don't even know why I'm here."

She laughed. "Right..." She paused, and I could see by the look in her eye that she was debating something. ".. fine, you know what... go ahead, tell me."

I sighed, the room around me suddenly becoming smaller around me. I pulled slightly at my collar for breath then sighed. "Look... have you... have you talked to Kori today?"

"No." She said in a careless manner. "...next question?"

"I just...I..." Stuttering as I released a heavy sigh.

"Now you sound like Kori..." She said rolling her eyes.

"I just don't really know how to fix this."

She looked to me with a smirk. "And what... is _this_ exactly?"

"Kori..."

"And your...?"

"Friendship Rachel... this has nothing to with anything other than that."

"And what makes you think anything is wrong with your '_friendship_'? What... because she didn't talk to you much today? Are you really that ...?"

"Enough Rachel..." I sighed. "Do you really think I like having to deal with this... I don't even want to be asking for help. I just... I don't know what to do. I... I'm losing her."

"And yet here you are instead of with her." She paused, and I could see a sense of guilt wash over her. "Alright... you know what... Kori is over there partying with her sister of all people alright... what does that say other than the fact that she's feeling lost right now." She paused. "If you want to fix your... _friendship_... then go... go fix it. I'm fairly certain she's found herself in a situation where Komi has gone too far." She paused once more. "Look, ... there's nothing wrong with your friendship... it's just you."

I arched a brow in annoyance. "What do you mean?"

"You either care enough about her to let her be happy with Roy... or you don't." It was now that she stepped to me with an odd look in her eye... a somewhat omnipotent gleam. "I think we both know what Kori _really_ wants."

I hesitated then quickly made my way to Kori's house. I knocked several times but there was no answer. I thought about just walking in but I wasn't sure what I'd find. Instead, I made my way back home. The drive was silent... not even my mind was in motion, it focused solely on the road.

When I got home I entered to find the house completely dark. I was far too tired to make it to my room. Instead I lowered myself onto the couch, the television blaring as I fell asleep. When morning finally arrived I checked my phone... nothing from Kori but I had several texts from Rachel. I rubbed at my tired eyes... Kori instantly flashing to my restless mind. I hated the situation we were in. I hated myself for not guarding her from Roy better.

I sighed and selected one of the texts and my eyes narrowed.

**RACHEL**: _Have you seen Kori? I can't seem to find her and Komi is no help_

I called Kori's phone several times... Great, I thought to myself, my luck she would be with Roy. I paused then raced to my room to quickly change. When I tried to open the door I realized it was locked. My frustration set in now, I had made myself perfectly clear to Crystal last night to leave and not come back. I pulled a set of keys from my pocket and entered the room with a scowl. A scowl which faded as my eyes lay upon a sleeping Kori.

A tightness in my chest settled over me... if I had only come to my room last night, I could have saved myself a restless night. I hesitated, placing my keys back in my pocket then slowly making my way to her. Once I sat beside her, the smell of liquor stifled my senses. I thought about waking her, then instead, I removed my shoes, ... then pulled the covers back. I paused shaking my head with a smile across my face. I lowered the covers to the edge of the bed then gently removed Kori's shoes, sending them to the floor and removing her purse, which remained tucked into her chest. Once she was comfortable I lay beside her as quietly as I could manage. I turned to my side forming my body to hers... her skin was cold to the touch.

I pulled the comforter over both of us and lingered in one last glance at her, ... I was about so say the one thing I never thought I'd ever say... to anyone...

I lowered my lips to her cheek, kissing her just once,... but my eyes flowed over her without rush. She looked so beautiful in a moment like this... her cheeks flushed, her tired eyes closed in a world of dreams, her hair,... that beautiful tangled mess was thrust all around her. I smiled then lowered my lips to her ear, unable to hold back the words... "I love you Star."

I couldn't believe the sense of relief that washed over me... I knew I meant what I said, but saying it out loud... it sent an intense emotion surging through me. I couldn't deny my feelings for her was anything other than love... it was the only thing strong enough to encompass my thoughts... and now, now that I wasn't denying myself the possibility... there was no doubt that I did love her.

My heart, and entire body rose in a panic as Kori shifted her body below me... damn,... did she hear me? I remained completely frozen as her body turned to her side, toward me. She rested her head closely into the crook of my shoulder. If this moment wasn't terrifying enough for me... I swallowed hard as her lips parted and in a tired slumber she bestowed a single kiss to me neck, her voice in a whisper. "I love you too, Dick."

My heart was beating uncontrollably now. My eyes remained focused on her... I wasn't even sure she was aware of what she had just said... or what I had said... she was still fast asleep. I swallowed hard as she shifted her body once more, her frail hand resting against my chest now as she nestled herself closer to me. I tried to control the rate of my heartbeat but it was pointless,... she had undeniably coaxed me into her possession. It sounds ridiculous... but it was true... I couldn't deny it to myself any longer... whether she was mine or not... I would always be hers. I had been with more women than I could keep track of and none of them ever made me feel the way I did at this moment. Kori was my one weakness in this world and while I was certain she would awake and have no recollection of what occurred in this moment, I was certain of one thing ... I had to find a way to return her to me... either that or suffer in silence and let her be happy with Roy, as Rachel had suggested. In the end I just wanted her to be happy, ... undeniably happy. I knew now, I couldn't be selfish with her anymore.


	17. Linger In Silence For The Fallout

**(A/N) I hope you're ready for this... **

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Chapter Seventeen:** Linger In Silence For The Fallout**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

My world was spinning at an odd... unsettling rate. As if everything that occurred around me was already planned out... destined for utter failure. It had taken a direction down a path I was not certain I would see the end of. Things between Dick and I were... strange... different. That's not say we weren't at least pretending things had yet to have changed,... hoping the awkwardness would fade on its own... it was as though neither one of us could accept this obvious shift in our relationship. I had spent the night with Komi... the idea was to try to give my mind, heart... everything... a well deserved break. It worked for part of the night... I was completely free of Roy, and my friends, and Dick... everything. And yet... as I came to the realization Komi had knowingly served me a not so ordinary brownie ... my mind snapped instantly to Richard.

I remember my body trying to dispose of the alcohol and said brownie in a tornado of convulsion... and I couldn't help but wish I was with Dick at the time. He had this hold over me... his presence alone brought me comfort. Now, while I couldn't help but draw attention to the fact that he and I were slowly crumbling ... even so, I could not ignore that I needed him at this moment. So of course... what did I do? I went to his house... locked myself in his room, slightly frustrated at his absence. The thought of where he was, and the obvious fact he was certainly with Crystal upset me, but I didn't care. I just needed to be in his surroundings... his very scent lingered in his room and it brought a calm to me all on its own.

I remember waking the next morning... today actually,... to the sensation of a familiar hand tightening around my waist. I opened my eyes to find Richard inches from my face. It startled me at first but as he remained in an unshaken slumber, I found myself smiling. He was so peaceful ... and what was even more enjoyable about this moment... I was free to admire his handsome features without guilt of being caught with my eyes lingering on him. I felt myself inhale deeply as his arm around my waist drew me even closer to him, our noses almost touching now. I could feel my heartbeat quicken as, still dead asleep, he leaned toward me, resting his head against mine, which was now pressed against his chest.

I swallowed hard, I shouldn't have allowed myself the enjoyment of this moment, but as the sound of his calm heartbeat reached my ears ... I didn't care that this would become yet another undesired memory with him. I allowed myself to bask in his comfort, his strong arms never leaving me. In this moment I felt as though I was entirely his... the truth, while I still hated my struggle against my feelings for him... he was asleep, there was no harm in this...

Well... actually, that isn't nearly as true as I told myself if was. Roy... Roy Harper... was the cause of this. This moment I was sharing with Dick was not something he would be comfortable with...and yet,... here I remained, ... ever so still as not to ruin the moment by waking him. We remained here for a long while... and as a quiet knock sounded from the door, one which I knew came from Alfred... I looked Dick. Of course I wasn't excited to end this time with him... I knew I probably should though. I waited for Alfred's footsteps to fade then I slowly lifted my lips in a sort of pucker... sending a small breeze of breath to Dick's cheek, in a silent whistle. I giggled to myself as his eyes eyebrows lowered at the disturbance. This seems strange, and it is,... but this was always how I had woke him up. I found it was a more subtle, calming way to be awoken... and the fact that it always made his charming laugh sound didn't hurt either. I blew another small gust of cool breath to his cheek and it was now that his mind became alert. He didn't open his eyes but his tired voice sounded in my direction.

"Kori..." he whined in sleepiness.

I giggled once more, then repeated the action once more before his eyes forced themselves open. I smiled... his eyes always had this dreamy gaze to them in the morning, and right now was no exception. "Morning..."

A smile crept across his face slowly, then, removing his hands from me, he turned on his back... releasing a drawn out yawn. I couldn't speak ... merely captivated by his every movement. He looked to the ceiling, and I could tell his mind was in thought.

"You tried to lock me out of my room last night..." I blushed slightly as his head turned in my direction, a smile across his lips. "... thanks for that."

I shrugged playfully at him. "You have a key. I thought you were gone for the night."

His eyes narrowed. "If I wasn't at your house where would I be?" My silence brought a change of the subject to his thoughts. He stretched slightly, then moving his legs over the side of the bed, his back facing me now, he rubbed at his tired eyes. "Rachel was looking for you earlier." My mind was officially awake now... beginning its usual circus of never-ending cycles of fleeting thoughts which consumed me on a daily basis. So much so that I missed something Dick had said, only realizing this as he turned to the side, staring down at me with a raised brow. "Earth to Kori..." he laughed as I looked to him now. "Take a step back from your thoughts for a moment. I'm talking to you."

I nodded. "Sorry..."

Now, as he spoke I knew we were both feeling the same awkwardness which scraped at the surface of each of our minds. He had this look in his eyes and I knew he was trying to pretend as though everything was normal... but we both knew better.

"What are your plans for today?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know..." I had a playful gleam in my eye now, as I slightly deepened the tone of my voice in a mocking manner. "... maybe I'll take my bike out... pick up my girlfriend... ya know,... cool Dick Grayson things."

I held back my laughter as he fought back a smile in front of me. "Ah,... you think you're funny?"

"I don't have to be... I'm thee Dick Grayson... ward of Bru..."

I was now submerged in a sea of laughter as Dick pulled at my arm until my head rest in his lap now, his fingers tickling at my sides.

"Alright..." I cried... "Alright... I'm sorry." My laughter receded to a flicker as he released me. I sat up now, beside him, looking over at him, his eyes gave off this feeling of utter happiness, and with a sigh I rested my head against his shoulder.

"Spend the day with me." He demanded.

I looked up at him now, somewhat surprised at the amount of eagerness in his voice. Hesitation set over me and I found myself in a stutter once again. "I... well, yea... I mean... I think." I paused looking to the alarm clock beside me. "I think Roy wants to spend some time together too..." I looked to him nervously. "... come with me?"

I could immediately see the happiness fade from his eyes, replaced by uneasy nerves. "I don't... I don't know..." He paused, his eyes lowering to the ground in hesitation. I knew he wouldn't agree to such a thing, but I was hoping to draw him from his frustration with Roy. I was convinced if they spent even a moment together, that they would realize how alike they are and how easy they would get along. Either way, it surprised me when he stood now, looking down at me in regret. At first I was confused by this look, but I quickly discovered the reason for regret... it was regret from the words he was about to speak. "You know what... if that's what you want then..." He sighed, running a hand through that gorgeous head of hair of his. "... sure... I'm in." I smiled, standing in a cheer, but fell silent as he continued. "... but..." he waved a finger at me. "... only after you and I spend some time together."

I nodded, the guilt of my actions the other day, you know... forgetting his appointment, and avoiding him throughout the day. "What did you wanna do?"

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I waited by my car just outside the Manor now,... I had showered and was only waiting for Dick to join me once had finished getting ready himself. I glanced around at the morning beauty around me. The sun had been up for a while, but morning was never as special as it was here... The Manor had this beauty to it... all around it... the landscape was nothing short of amazing. I paused stepping to a large rose bush beside the Manor walls. I lowered my nose to the sweet-smelling pedals basking in the fragrance they bore. My heart stopped as I noticed Dick appear from the house from the corner of my eye.

He was a good distance from me, leaving my mind plenty of time to soak in his appearance in all its splendor. Aside from his obvious attractive figure... one thing stood out from my mind. As he came to a halt before me... that smile stabbing at my composure, I shook my head. "No sunglasses today?"

He knew I hated that he always hid his eyes from the world, and right now... he wasn't, and it was killing me. He placed and arm around me. "I thought I'd change it up a bit." He sent a kiss to my temple, then laughed. "Just don't get used to it."

I ignored the increase of my heart rate as he led me to his bike. "I... I thought we would just take my car."

Removing his presence from me, he stepped to the bike lifting one of the helmets with a shrug. "Nah... I could always bring you back to get your car."

I was about to refuse this offer when I fell short of words. My mind, eyes, ... entire being, were focused on that piercing blue gaze as he fixed the helmet over my head, a small squint narrowing his eyes as he leaned down slightly, fixing the latch of the helmet securely underneath my chin. Roy... Roy... Roy... I repeated over and over in my mind, and yet the attraction I had to Dick did not falter. This was definitely going to be difficult for me to keep control around him.

When we finally left, Dick stopped at a local coffee shop downtown. It wasn't long before a sea of flashing camera's were on us. It was odd though.. normally a situation such as this would sink Richard into a state of frustration... but as I looked to him,... he seemed utterly happy. The camera's flashed incessantly, trying to snap as many photos of those normally concealed blue eyes of his, and I... I was just begging that the smile I had forced was believable.

We entered the coffee shop, standing in the rather long line. I squinted my eyes over the menu which hovered behind the distant cashier... in truth I was more focused on controlling the scarcity of my breath. Which of course didn't last long once I felt Richard come up from behind me, his hands remaining on my waist as he peeked his head over my shoulder. My eyes involuntarily flickering shut as his voice sounded near my ear... the sound utterly blissful.

"Do you know what you want?"

I shook my head, ... words... they might as well have been nonexistent... I felt a stranger to the English language... unable to pronounce anything at this time. The situation diving further into difficulty for me as the line moved forward, Dick's hands never leaving my waist as he led me forward a few steps,... his body pressed against mine as we came to a stop. It was now that I felt I might lose control, so I turned my body toward him now, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear and avoiding his eyes which I knew were nothing more than a trap to my mind.

"I ... what did you wanna do after this?" It was a lame question I realize that... but it was all that came to mind. He shrugged innocently, seeming anything but rushed with our time together.

When we finally reached the head of the line, we ordered and as I made my way toward one of the available tables I felt Dick's hand upon mine. I didn't object as he directed me out of the coffee shop and proceeded to stroll down the streets with me. As we walked I remained silent, I wasn't ignoring his conversation... merely trying to ignore the stragglers of paparazzi that stalked us and the questions and accusations they threw in our direction.

I looked to Dick as he chuckled, motioning toward one of the buildings we passed. "Remember ?" He asked.

I looked to the building, my heart sinking as I realized where we were. This was the place where we had first met. It was so long ago but the day... the memory,... the bond which was initially sparked there... it never left me. I smiled. "Of course I do..." I giggled slightly, the scene playing over in my head. "Our parents were such good friends back then." As Dick placed an arm around me I no longer felt as though I might lose control ... I was content in his comfort for the first time this morning.

The building we stared back at was a small comic book store... the very best in town. When Dick and I first met... this was where we were. I was in a fit as my father stood speaking to the clerk behind the large desk. I remember not wanting to be there... I would have rather have been home... and Komi didn't have to go so why I did only irritated me in that moment.

It was a few moments that would pass before the, at the time, _unfamiliar_ voice of Dick's father would call out to my father. I remember rolling my eyes, knowing that this would surely lead to an even longer wait before I was back at home.

My father turned toward the approaching man with a smile. "John... what are the odds?"

I rolled my eyes again as the two shook hands... and that's when I saw him. My father had just introduced me to John... and he turned, motioning to a black haired mess of spikes which lingered behind a comic book. "This is Dick..."

He called to Dick, who in-turn approached us with an annoyed look. "...what?"

He was so focused on the comic book, he hardly acknowledged his father as he introduced me to him.

"Dick." John called again. "... come on... say hi. This is Kori Anders... she goes to your school."

It was now that our fathers thoughts faded from our presence and focused on their own conversation. I remember being so annoyed in this moment... Dick was nothing short of rude, but part of me was glad I didn't have to socialize with him... his nose was back in the comic book with a shrug. As a result of my displeased mood my eyes wandered over this kid... he was my age... and yet he acted as though he was superior to even my company. My company being the daughter of the city's second largest company... but you knew that already. He stood there in an all black pair of Vans shoes which lingered below a pair of loose fit dark jeans. I couldn't really tell what type of shirt he wore... he was slouched forward his gaze narrowed in on the comic in his grasp. As I released a sigh, I noticed him look to me.

"You don't read comics?" He asked. I shook my head, becoming even further infuriated as he continued with a laugh. "Such a girl."

My eyes narrowed and I stepped to him. "What comic are you reading?" Before he could respond I had already recognized the comic, the story-line all too familiar to me. "Have you read it before?"

"Uh... no... that's why I'm reading it." He lowered his eyes to the comic again... a small high-pitched laugh escaping him. "This main character is the best."

I smiled. "Yea well, ... don't get too attached to him... " he paused looking to me as I stepped away from him approaching the other side of the store. "... he dies in the end."

I smiled to myself... content with ruining his fun, and was surprised when I heard him follow after me. I didn't look to him as he came to a halt beside me. "Wait a minute... so you _do_ read comics?"

I shrugged. "Sometimes..."

He hesitated then raising a brow,... my very first glimpse of his signature arched brow that today made my knees weak... and he said, "Well... " he paused looking down at the comic, then back at me in a scowl. "... you shouldn't have told me the ending... that's not fair."

I laughed. "Who's being girly now?" I looked to him with a proud smile, which soon faltered as his eyes narrowed in aggravation. I sighed. "Alright... sorry. It's still a great comic though. You should still get it."

"I will." He said defensively. He paused as his father called to him, telling him they were about to leave. He turned to leave... then paused, turning back to me hesitantly. My eyes narrowed in curiosity as his gaze flowed over me in a pause. "So... you go to my school?"

"I guess."

He smiled, those blue eyes gleaming now. "I'll see you around then."

I nodded, thinking nothing of it really... making a big underestimation of a friendship in the making. We were young then... but now... it still meant everything to me... it's where it all began.

My mind faded from my thoughts as Dick laughed again. "You were such a brat back then."

I shook my head. "You weren't exactly Mr. Charming either."

I was surprised as he pulled me into the store now. His eyes scanned over the mass collection of comics before us and then came to a pause lifting one of the comics to my sight. "Here it is... the comic you ruined for me."

"Well... maybe you shouldn't have been such a jerk to me. " I rolled my eyes. "Stereotypes of girls not reading comics is way overrated... even back then."

I paused as he returned the comic to its place on the rack. "I still have it you know." His eyes focused on mine. "It's still my favorite."

I forced a roll of my eyes. My mind was still focused on the memory of our first acquaintance... the shop still looked exactly the same as that day. A slight giggle escaping me. "You were so cute back then." As these words slipped from my mouth my eyes widened. Embarrassed, I turned away, looking through some of the racks. ... Did I really just say that out loud? Ugh, this wasn't the least bit awkward...

"What?" He laughed. "... Back then? ... what,...are you saying I'm not now?"

I turned to him and the expression on both of our faces were the exact same... this was it... the awkwardness that refused to die between us. I inhaled deeply, then with a laugh, said, "As if you need my confirmation that you are... " I motioned to the paparazzi that lingered outside, still snapping photos through the large window of the building. I swallowed hard as his eyes never left mine. He paid no mention to the paparazzi I had purposely tried to draw his attention to... and there it was... that look again... that undefined... I don't what it was... but it didn't exactly help the emotions I was engulfed in at the moment. I paused lowering my lips to the straw of my ice coffee, stripping my eyes from his intense gaze. My feet moved sideways, at an angle as I made my way down the aisle of racks.

There was a lingering silence before either of us spoke again... and it was Dick who took the initiative. "So... where do we go from here? Back to your place or...?"

"Sure... Rachel said Vic and Gar are already there so... I guess it's a poolside occasion. I just have to text Roy."

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**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

There was a strange essence to the air around us at the moment. No one drew attention to the obvious tension between Dick and Kori which had never really subsided since Kori and Roy started their relationship. And while Dick seemed to be in an internal struggle with his very emotions I couldn't understand the harm in simply talking to Kori about his situation. I believe this was the very reason he seemed more on edge lately... he could talk to Kori about anything... that's the way it always had been and yet, right now he was holding back, in the end upsetting himself more.

Of course, I'm not one to talk... its apparent to all of you now that I have ... that I... let's see if I can do this without cringing... I think you all know I have... or I ... f..e..e..l... something for a certain green haired pile of human wreckage... and I was holding back too, but... then again I'm not exactly one for dramatics.

I'm not sure where Kori and Dick were at the moment, the only information I had was that they would be arriving soon. As of now, I sat under an umbrella which was stationed securely over a small table in the backyard of Kori's house. Vic and Gar were tossing a football back and forth between each other in the pool. I sat alone with a book at hand... the scenario around me seemed calming to me. The sun beat down on me in a less violent manner as a result of the dark blue umbrella which hovered over me, and the small breeze almost made the heat of the day bearable.

I could tell you I was completely focused on the book I was in the middle of reading, but the truth was... my mind was feeling slightly more spacey then usual... the reason... it headed in my direction now...

"Rae..." Came that squeaky voice I had grown slightly fond of... in some instances. I pretended to be far too drawn into my book then I actually was as Gar's overly enthusiastic vibe fell around me. "... I thought we were here to have some fun? Not just sit around... reading."

My eyes snapped to his in a violet glare. "This _is_ me having fun."

I could feel my brow quiver slightly as his childlike chuckle sprung to life. "Come on Rae... you can't really be happy just reading." I felt myself smile... inside... not that I showed it. I had to remain firm around Gar... it was our thing... he was too excited and I was bland... I had actually begun to enjoy our banter in certain instances such as this. He turned toward the pool, his arms stretched out at his sides in a deep inhale of the wind which swirled around us. "You're missing out in all the fun of the day." I ignored him now, returning back to my book... again which I wasn't really reading. "You don't even have you're bathing suit on... it wouldn't be horrible to see you dressed in something much more..."

"...finish that sentence and I'll end you." I said with gritted teeth.

A weak growl escaped him now. "I'm just trying to put you in a better mood."

I lowered my book now, setting it upon the table and forcing a partial smile, which was more of a gritted glare. "No need... I'm in a _great_ mood."

As I stood to walk away... I had plans to check and see if Kori and Dick had arrived yet... when I felt a harsh presence against my side. Before I could react, I found myself thrust back into the pool. As my body collided with the water my anger rose. Resurfacing, I glared back at Gar who was doubled over, a hand hugging his stomach as he laughed hysterically at my stumbling out of the pool. I looked down at my drenched clothes, my sweatshirt was heavy with absorbed water.

My eyes twitched as I moved toward him in with a scowl. I shoved him back, his eyes going wide. "You ..."

"Come on... it's all fun... don't be such a baby."

I was more then ready to rip his head off... but I fell silent as Kori and Dick stepped into the backyard. Kori looked to me with wide eyes. "What happened?"

I sent a growl in Gar's direction, while in response he stepped away from me slowly. "What do you think happened...?"

She looked to Gar and placed a hand over her mouth trying to hold back a giggle, which I tried to ignore. I pulled my drenched sweatshirt over my head, leaving it upon the ground as I stepped toward the house. I paused near Dick... who only caught my attention by the odd gleam in his eyes. I wasn't sure what the reason was for this hesitant attitude he was wearing ... but I was convinced it would reveal itself soon enough... if anything was set and stone... today was going to be interesting in itself.

After quickly changing my clothes I returned to Kori's house, finding everything exactly as I had left it. Well,... aside from Dick and Kori who were now in the pool ... their usual flirting commencing. In truth, while there was unspoken tension between them... it was far too easy for them to fall back into their old ways, even if it were a mere moment.

My eyes focused on their figures as Dick lifted Kori into his arms. I could see, while she was giggling, his gaze was more passionate, ... more drawn to her then he would have liked. He continued moving back and forth in these conflicting expressions as he fought his emotions for Kori, and she... she was no better.

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**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

Now, while I wasn't sure what I was going to do about my feelings for Kori, I couldn't resist the sensation of her thin figure in my grasp as I lifted her into my arms while in the shallow end of the pool. One thing was certain... it may have only been one day that she was with Roy but every moment played through my mind as nothing more than a reality check. I was hesitant to express my feelings for Kori in fear of myself ... I didn't want to hurt her but I was learning fairly quickly that I couldn't stomach seeing her with anyone else... and this epiphany which had shed light to the fact that I was truly in love with her didn't help in the slightest.

I shouldn't have been this affectionate with her... especially since I knew Crystal would be arriving soon, but I couldn't resist. Moments ago she had stepped from the house, her seductive body barely covered in her usual purple bikini. She was in my arms now... something I knew would happen the moment I saw her approach me... and as she giggled, just the way the sun beat down upon her soft skin I found myself at a loss for words.

It was now that my fun ended, for Roy had just arrived, Kori leaping from my arms to rush to greet him. I stepped from the pool now, running a hand through my damp hair and joining Rachel at the table. My eyes remained on Kori, her sleek figure stepping to Roy in her usual adorable strut.

"You might wanna close your mouth." Rachel laughed, immediately drawing me from my daze.

I ignored her comment, but inside I was thanking her for saving me from myself. I felt me fists clench beneath the table in rage. Sure, I had decided to do my best to hold back my feelings for Kori until I had time to clearly assess my options, but she wasn't exactly making it easy for me. I gritted my teeth as Roy stepped toward Kori, his arms were around her instantly, trailing down to her waist as his lips met hers.

It was now that my rage became fully inflamed. She, whether she remembered it or not, had said she loved me, and whether it was truth or not... I knew there had to be a part of her that did. So why then was she so easily swayed into his arms.

"Can you be any more obvious?"

I looked to Rachel with a raised brow, attempting to hide my heated emotions at the moment. "What are you...?"

"Nope... don't pull that shit with me Dick... I can tell. I'm just curious as to when you're gonna stop being so guarded and just make a move with her?"

I swallowed hard. "She's with Roy."

"Right... because you care..." She laughed. She shrugged as I narrowed my eyes at her. "Fine... be my guest. You can just suffer while he has his hands all over her." She smiled and as I looked to the direction of her gaze... I knew why. The two were approaching us now.

"You're not going in?" Kori asked me, ... I was instantly drawn to her smile as she looked down at me.

I shook my head. "I'm just taking a break. I'll be in soon."

I endured her whimper of disappointment then watched closely as she stepped to the diving board of the pool. As she dove into the water, her slim body glided sweetly across the pool.. an involuntary smile crept across my face.

"Easy there..." Roy said, glaring down at me. Before I could respond he dove headfirst into the pool after Kori.

"Take it easy lover boy." Rachel's voice sounded again. I calmed myself by looking to Vic and Gar now who were tossing a football back and forth between each other. As much as I despised Rachel's outbursts they seemed to keep me in check so I was somewhat grateful for them.

I tried my hardest to ignore the flirtatious behavior between the two... but I can't deny seeing his hands on Kori was doing nothing more than eating away at my patience. It would be the moment he kissed her that my rage would become fully ignited in a frenzy. Standing I made my way to the house now. I could now hear Kori following after me but I was too engulfed in my own furious thoughts to pay any attention to her. It was only once I reached the front door, and the feeling of her damp hand upon my arm, that brought me to a halt.

I turned to her, her confusion only irritating me further. "What?"

She jerked her head back, shocked at my tone. "I.. I just... what are you doing? Where are you going?"

I laughed now,... not a happy laugh, it resided closer to the lines of sarcasm. I lifted a hand to my forehead shaking my head. "You're so naive Kori." I hesitated as she cowered before me in deeper confusion. "Look, I tried alright... I really did." I paused as she took a step back nervously.

"I don't know what you're..."

"Well you should!" I yelled. "... by now... you should..." I hesitated fighting against the voice in my which was telling me to just leave. I turned to the door then paused, looking back to her. "I don't want to see you with him."

Her eyes narrowed. "Dick... I thought you were upset before because I wasn't spending time with you ... not that..."

"If you can't see that it bothers me to be around you when he has his hands all over you then..." I released a sigh of frustration. Why was this so difficult? "I just... " I shrugged. "I can't."

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**(Kori Anders' POV)**

My mind grew furious as Dick placed a hand on the door knob again. I stepped to him shoving him to the side, my voice raised. "Don't you dare try to leave." I shook my head as he raised a brow at me. "I can't keep doing this Dick... I can't keep fighting with you over this. I know you said you couldn't promise me this wouldn't happen again but... if you walk out that door it will only make things worse."

"What more is there to say, Kori?" He said, his voice struggling with restraint of the anger he felt.

I hesitated,... tears banging heavily behind my eyes as I held them back with a sigh. "I just need to understand what ... what is this? What are you doing?"

"I told you... I just can't be apart of this anymore."

My anger raised even further. "So you're upset because I'm with Roy?" I shook my head. "Look, things between you and me have been too weird for me lately and don't think for one second that I don't know you've noticed it yourself. Now, you're being far too vague with your reasons for being upset. _Why_ are you angry that I'm with Roy? Why... _give_ me one reason?"

"You want a reason..." He paused again, running a hand through his hair. "This... you being with him... this isn't you."

"You're one to talk. Listen to yourself... that's _really_ the only excuse you have for being _this_ angry?" I could tell there was more he wasn't telling me, and this alone pissed me off. "If either of us is not being ourselves its you. Since when can't you talk to me about something?"

He took a step toward me. "Don't make this difficult for me Kori. I ... I just don't want you with him... plain and simple... I don't want you with anyone."

"So this is a _possession_ thing again?" I said rolling my eyes. This was beginning to be far too much for me to handle. I could feel my chest heaving in anxiety over this... I was losing control.

"No...you're missing the point Kori.."

I growled in frustration. "How can you be so hypocritical? What do you expect from me...? Did you really think that while you run off with all the women your with , leaving me on the sidelines, that I wasn't eventually going to join in the fun myself?"

As I said this I saw a sense of further rage ignite in him. He stared down at me in a glare... I could see the anger he felt as he clenched his fists. "Is that what this is... you and Roy...? It's just fun for you?"

"No... I didn't say that... but even if it was ..." I hesitated. "... even if it was you have no right to tell me I can't be involved with someone just because you want me to be in your grasp."

"My grasp?" He laughed. The moment around us turned me into a distraught mess. He was standing there so careless about the situation and it bothered me. "That sounds more like a Rachel statement then your own." He looked to the ground now giving himself a moment to collect himself. "You _know_ that's not how I view you... it's never been that way with us."

"Then what? What is it? Tell me what you want me to do? Because as far as I'm concerned... you have Crystal... so this shouldn't bother you."

His eyes narrowed. "What does Crystal have to do with any of this?"

"It doesn't have anything to do with Crystal... this is about you. You need to see that I'm doing everything I can to occupy my mind with ... I just... you're so occupied with the thought of losing me to Roy that you can't see that I've resulted to doing all of this because I'm afraid of the very same thing. I can't... I can't lose you ... I can't lose our friendship. It's the only thing that keeps me going each day." I came to a halt as his brow raised in curiosity. He hesitated, taking a step toward me but I stepped back, shaking my head, angry with myself for having let myself slip... my emotions were now obvious to him. I could see it displayed clearly upon his face.

"Kori... If you were uncomfortable with me being with Crystal..."

"Uncomfortable...?" I laughed. I shook my head. "... and you think me naive." The silence that followed was more to take then the actual words I was about to speak. I released a deep breath... cursing at myself for what I was about to say... but I had no choice... this was never going to end unless I just... let go... stopped fighting. "I wasn't merely uncomfortable Richard... I was jealous." His silence tore at my heart... this moment was exactly as I had expected it to be... if not worse. My insides surged in pain... everything would be different now. I shook my head. "Seeing you with her... smiling at her... being with her... it just, it's too much for me. It wasn't just Crystal though..." My eyes avoided his now, embarrassment and pain engulfed me now. "... I can't be around you without suffering in silence against the feelings I have... and believe me... I wish I didn't have them... but I do."

His voice sounded now in an uneven manner. "Kori... I..."

I inhaled deeply. "Don't worry about it... I don't expect anything from this... I just couldn't take it anymore. I can't pretend that you don't mean more to me then you probably should. " I sighed... "The truth is... none of it matters now... there's no point contemplating the possibilities of a doomed relationship."

"And what makes you think it would be doomed?"

I looked to him narrow eyed. "Don't mock me Dick. You know as well as I do, even if you did have feelings for me ... it wouldn't work. It _can't_ work."

"Says who?" He said, his voice surrendering to a more tender tone... one I was surprised by.

I hesitated as he stepped to me, placing a hand against my cheek. I shoved his hand from me and stepped away from him. My anger and hurt was far too much to handle in this moment... I was embarrassed and sick to my stomach now. "It's just the way it goes. Friendship becoming something more... it never ends well." I looked to him with a shrug. "Besides... I think we both know I could never be the type of girl you want..."

I could hear the anger resurface in his voice. "And what is that suppose to mean?"

"Look at your track record, Richard. I can't be the type of girl you sleep with until you're bored." My words and expression were cold and bitter.

I could see my unflinching demeanor beginning to affect him more than he would have liked to make obvious... my words alone had already brought his features to a halt... he stood before me wide-eyed, mouth gaped open in shock, his eyes ... they held more hurt then I had seen in a long while... only this time it was a result of me. "I would _never_ expect that from you. You should know better than to assume that. You... you're diff..."

"Different?" I rolled my eyes. I was so hurt in this moment... hurt that he was teasing me... that I had single-handedly destroyed our friendship... and because I had resulted to pushing him away now. Why not...? I had already sealed the fate of this conversation. "I'm sure I'm not the first person you've said that to so you might as well stop while you're ahead... I don't believe it for a second. As it is I can't exactly see our friendship alone surviving this argument."

"Why the _fuck_ would you even think that... let alone say it?" My chest swelled in pain as he swallowed hard, lifting a hand to his forehead. "Don't tell me you actually believe that?"

I turned away from him now... stepping to the staircase. "Just go Richard... there's no point in arguing the inevitable."

I ascended the stairs quickly... trying my best to hold back the tears that were already spouting from my eyes. I had just left him there... upset... hurt... confused even... I hated myself.

I stepped into my room, slamming the door shut, leaning back upon the door. I stayed perfectly still, my body numb to the words I had said... the anger I had felt... everything. I knew I was being a bitch... I was.. well, being Komi... and in the end... I knew there was no other way the night could have ended between Dick and I... I just couldn't take the pain anymore.

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**(A/N) Intense chapter?... let me know what you think... thanx for reading... =] R/R**


	18. You Don't Know A Thing About This Life

Chapter Eighteen: **You Don't Know A Thing About This Life**

**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

It's going to get a whole lot worse before it gets any better...

I read that somewhere... I'm not sure where... or when... but it definitely stung at my existence as of now. While its obvious this statement holds some amount of truth... it wasn't a guaranteed assurance... nor did it help that it didn't exactly specify how much worse things would get or how long I would have to endure the darkness before I would find my way into the light. As it were, it had been eighteen bitter days since I last saw Kori... her agonizing words and conflicted fury that directed itself upon me... it was as sharp a stab now as it was the very day it happened. I didn't know what to do with myself. At first I was angry... my pride shattered... my life in shambles. I couldn't come to terms with half the words she had said and while I would like to have hoped they were merely a result of her rage at the time... I was fairly certain most, if not all, held some amount of truth to how she really felt. I hadn't felt so scarred by anything this badly in my life then the day I learned of my parent's death. It sounds ludicrous to compare the two scenarios and yet... it was mainly because this is the exact opposite of what I wanted. I had mentioned the fear I had in the possibility of our friendship being destroyed by my feelings for her... but in no way did I ever envision the catastrophic end of our friendship to be at the hand of Kori, herself. In the end... even as she stood there ... angry and on the verge of tears... regardless of what she had said... I never wanted it to come to this... I never wanted to lose her. But I'm certain that I... as well as you... can tell that I didn't really have a choice in the matter.

Sure, of course I was angry at her for the same reasons I had been that day... I didn't want her with Roy, or anyone... and ... I knew I would remain firm upon this fact always. It was truly how I felt. I had given my all to attempt adjusting to her relationship with someone else... but... I just, no matter how much I fought the rage... the greed of jealousy became victor in the end. And... in the grand scheme of things... my jealousy was the last thing on my mind... which isn't to say it didn't still bother me, no... the vision of Roy and his hands on her, his lips against hers... it was cemented into my memory, refusing to fade. But that was a mere fragment of the amount of emotion I felt as of now. At first the jealousy was the strongest emotion, and yet...now... having spent so much time away from her, ... it was pain... hurt... loss that burned brightest in my life.

I wasn't upset with her anymore, and maybe that sounds pathetic... for I'm certain I was in my rights to be, but I just wasn't. The look upon her helpless face as she fled from me that very day woke me on more than one occasion in the middle of the night ... destroying any amount of acceptance in the situation I had forced upon myself. I spent my days in a constant fall... mentally, physically,... you name it and I was there. My greatest fear was losing her... and here it was. I was in the eye of a storm, everything around me collided and clashed in a destructive slaughter of my life... while I... I remained in the center of it all... never really awake, yet not asleep, just... numb. And there was still yet to be anything I could do to change it. As I said,... it wasn't so much that I was angry with her... I was in suffering. My pride may have been disposed of by her words but that doesn't mean its any less true when I say that I needed her. I wanted to fix things... change what ever I had to, to get back to myself... which, lets face it... I'm just not complete without her. Dramatic, pathetic, ridiculous...? ... definitely... I was all of these things and I had no intentions of denying it.

I can't deny though, that the first few days after the argument I was in a rage... I didn't attempt calling her, checking on her... nothing. I was too furious to even want to see her... knowing the sound of her very voice would only stain my memories of her in a darker perspective... strip the beauty I saw in her from my thoughts... and believe me, I wasn't proud of the thoughts that encompassed me during these few days... the mere mention of this dark time for me showers shame over me.

Now,... after this... I don't know maybe three... four days later... I was in my room, still angry, still vengeful, when the transition happened. I had just stepped out from the shower and quickly changed into fresh clothes. Crystal had already left due to the fact that it was the middle of the night and I didn't want her staying in my bed. To be honest,... I now knew why, but I refused myself the truth of it all at the time. The point being, the last girl to sleep beside me in my bed was Kori... the scent of her lingered upon the covers and pillows and since then I hadn't let Crystal in my room let alone stay the night in the bed.

Alright so... It was about two in the morning and I had just showered and dressed for the night when I stepped toward my dresser, a sharp pain striking from beneath my foot. As I lifted my leg at an angle to view the cause of the pain, I paused pulling a small fragment of glass wedged within my flesh. It was now that my eyes rest upon a picture frame in which I must have thrown in my fit of rage after leaving Kori's house. The picture was upside down, and while the annoying irritation of my foot throbbing now stung at me, I lifted the picture in my hands.

I swallowed hard, staring back at a picture. It was a photo taken of Kori and I during Christmas a few years back. It was now that the change in my emotions plummeted. I stared down at the picture for a long while... Kori was in my grasp, her arms folded sweetly around my neck as I kissed at her cheek... her alluring smile and entrancing eyes shed such happiness from the moment that I found myself fall still. The bright flame of anger inside me weakened to a flicker... a heavy sinking feeling ruptured within me now. The sensation seared through me at a relentless, unsympathetic force, and it hasn't left me even now.

My eyes remained frozen over the photo as my body tensed, the air in my lungs stifled in sharp, shallow rasps. Then... when I feared it couldn't get any worse,... a single drop spilled from my eyelid, gliding patiently down my cheek. The realization alone, that I was in fact vulnerable and in enough pain to convert my emotions into the life of tears... it didn't matter that it was only one... I knew that I was at my breaking point... anger was a thing of the past. It would only be Bruce shouting at me at the pool of blood which complied beneath my foot that brought me to life again. I lowered the picture to the dresser now, casually turning away as I cast the tear from my cheek. I was far too upset to pull off the amount of composure I had forced in front of Bruce... but somehow I managed.

Since that moment I had done everything I could to speak to Kori. She had stopped going to school, Rachel being the only one who was in contact with her at all. I called her cell phone several times, each time it went straight to voice mail... she wanted nothing to do with me and it was destroying me with each failed attempt. I hadn't seen her or talked to her since the argument and I was running out of patience. Which was a great thing since tonight I knew she would have no choice but to see me.

"Are you ready Richard?" a female voice called.

I looked back at myself in the mirror of my bathroom. Running my hand down the front of my black suit and adjusting my tie, I inhaled deeply, speaking to myself. "This is it."

Tonight was the anniversary of the founding of Wayne Industries, and everyone would be there... and as much as I knew Kori would probably want nothing more than not to attend, I knew she would. The simple fact being that Mrs. Anders attended this event every year... she felt obligated to... it was business... so Kori had no choice.

We were in the limo now, the event taking place in a large ballroom downtown. Abby, the female voice... who I might not have mention was just a random I had been with a few times this past week. I had ended things with Crystal, which would have happened all on its own eventually, but I had broken it off early... Kori's words and distaste for her ringing heavy on me. So yea.. Abby... she was this bitchy blonde I had met a while back... she was convenient at a time like this... she didn't have expectations or anticipated attachment... it was just sex... and now, tonight... I was glad to have her for the occasion. After all, I was Dick Grayson... I couldn't attend alone... it was expected of me to bring a date. Shallow...? I'm well aware.

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**(Kori Anders' POV)**

"You know... " Rachel's voice sounded... disintegrating the silence I once remained in. She stepped to me sitting beside me on my back porch. "... someone once told me that smoking wasn't really the best way to deal with stress."

I rolled my eyes, a cigarette firmly held between my fingers. I wasn't proud of this moment in my life, and yet I didn't make any attempt to stop myself. I found humor in the utter hypocrisy of this situation. Rachel preaching logic in result of my behavior and me sitting here in a depressed attitude, retorting back to her in sarcasm. It was all very mixed up and reversed but this was what my life had become.

"And yet something that shouldn't help... is."

The purpose behind my dazed, demented mindset was not without reason though. It had been a little over two weeks since I last spoke with Richard... each moment deepening the anguish I had been unable to adjust to. And while the days continued to operate around me, flying past me whether I wanted them to or not ... this depressed feeling never got any easier. The last time I spoke to him I was yelling at him, tearing his very existence down, stripping away his pride without mercy... I'm sure you all remember this moment... as if it's hard to forget. I can't even begin to explain it, nor did I want to even attempt to understand it... it was a mess... a complete and utter form of wreckage in which I was responsible for.

Since my fight with Richard everything had spiraled out of control, continuing to fall apart all around me. I kept telling myself that our friendship,... even without my help would have ended on its own. All the signs were there... and now, although I had personally sentenced it to death at my hand... it didn't make anything easier. What's worse... the entire city... somewhere along the line... just turned on me. I knew it was a result of the rumors which sprung to life, spinning in viscous circles around Dick and I... posing the possible reasons we were no longer on speaking terms or ever seen with one another... it was the main focus of the headlines recently. The subject of his and mine relationship alone was hard enough to come to terms with without the interference of the media... not like it mattered to them... they thrived off our suffering. The headlines which used to read... Princess Kori... they now burned in bold red font... Best Friend Betrayal... Clash of the Heirs... take your pick... those weren't even the worst merely the most liked amongst the litany of examples I could share with you... but I wont. In the end... while they were sitting behind their desks casting judgement on me and hating me... the obvious fact was that I was hating myself right along with them.

Now,... let me just be clear on one thing... it would be pathetic and sad if I hadn't realized, at least by now, after all this time... that I was in the wrong when in relation to Richard... but... the damage was done. What could I do? What could I say? I had hurt him... I had hurt myself and it wasn't as though I could say that neither one of us had taken any amount of initiative to correct any mistake let alone acknowledge the other,because that just isn't true. It had come to a point where I was pushing him away.

I tried to not let it bother me though, after all I had more issues aside from Richard, feeding off the small amount of sanity I managed to keep intact. My sister had accompanied a few friends to a party last week near the beach... where she was finally apprehended by the police and taken into custody. I say finally, because I was surprised Komi had been able to evade the law for such a long period of time... I mean, I couldn't check the mail without being swarmed by the reporters and paparazzi that camped right outside my estate shamelessly. Regardless, she was in jail now... and to be honest... I felt as though I might as well have been standing right beside her. I remained helpless as my life contorted into nothing more than a prison designed specifically for me. But this wasn't the reason for my present state of nerves... no, the real reason was because my mother was in town. Now, if you know anything about my mother it's that she never takes time to step away from her work unless it is for a highly important reason. Her reason?... tonight was the anniversary of Wayne Industries as a company... which, unfortunately was practically a holiday to my family, as well as the many other rich families that thrived in this community. It was an event which was to take place downtown in a half hour... and I was not looking forward to it in even the slightest.

I puffed at the cigarette once more, then looked to a, now, silent Rachel. My eyes wandered over her... she looked amazing, entirely prepared for such a occasion. She wore a long, dark blue gown, a pair of black heels to top off her glamorous attire. She hated wearing dresses but that didn't mean she didn't look stunning ant this moment. I smiled to myself briefly because despite my distraught mood lately, Rachel's had surprisingly lightened. She was more supportive and positive then I had ever seen her before, and while I know it was a forced attempt at drawing me from my sadness... it still didn't help regardless of how much I appreciated the effort.

"Kori... you better be ready!" My mom shouted impatiently from within the house. "Promptness is very important at an event such as this."

I rolled my eyes,... my mother was so clueless to the emotions I was drowning in. I couldn't blame her though... her life was a hectic one and even I felt stressed out when she would merely explain her days to me.

I paused as Rachel stood extending a hand down to me with a smirk. "Tonight's going to be fine... you'll see. This is going to be good for you."

I ignored her, extinguishing the cigarette and then stepping into the house, her following behind me. When we reached the front door, my mother was already shoving us out the door toward the stretched limo which was parked just outside my house.

The drive was a quick one,... surprisingly the traffic didn't really clam together until our destination was within sight. It was silent in the limo, aside from my mother who spent the time in several different phone calls... business... she said, but it didn't bother me, I preferred the silence. As it were... my mind... it was doing what it does best... cramming as many thoughts passed my comprehension as possible... the fear of having to be in Richard's presence set my nerves on fire.

During my time away from Dick, Rachel had continued to inform me, on a daily basis, that he had attempted to get a hold of me and begged to see me, but ... I just couldn't bear to face him. Not after what I had said to him,... and especially not that he now knew I had feelings for him... I was convinced it would be too much for me to handle. What can I say...? I was ashamed, ... embarrassed... lost. I hadn't spoken to him since our argument and now so much time had passed that I was afraid it was too late to fix anything. Which, I haven't even mentioned the unsurprising tale of Dick's actions during this time apart. The magazines which were brought to my attention by Rachel, who was constantly trying to pry me from my depression, showed a more than average amount of pictures of Richard. He seemed happy... at least to anyone who didn't know him as well as I did. I could see right through those falsified smiles and forced laughs the media managed to capture of him. And even though I could tell he was equally feeling the effects of our past confrontation... he went out of his way to make it seem as though he could care less... at least in the wide eyes of the public.

I learned he had ended things with Crystal a few days after our argument but that didn't stop him from finding someone new. I didn't even want to understand that decision, but it didn't matter because as far as I was concerned, a low profile was the best choice for me... he could do what he wanted.

When the limo finally pulled to a stop in front of the building, my heart began to race, a strange stiffness surfaced in my chest. The cameras sparked in a rage as Rachel and I surfaced from the car... us both, now, being on a side of the media which was liked only based on the fact that we were disliked... if that makes any sense at all. The offensive, harsh questions directed at us were no longer a surprise to me, yet I still couldn't get into the building fast enough... which is ironic since I would have rather had been anywhere then here.

"Here we go." Rachel said entering the large double doors beside me.

I inhaled deeply, the beauty and intensity of the festivity occurring before me immediately drawing a sigh from me. My plan,... it was to stay completely out of sight for as long as I could... who ever said playing the wall flower was a bad thing? ... I actually hoped I would be successful in my attempt at being just that.

"I'm off to mingle..." my mother said, disappearing into the crowd of fancy suits and elegant gowns.

I gave her a brief nod,... not that she acknowledged it, then I glanced around at the sea of faces around me... hoping to avoid Dick at all costs.

"There's Gar and Vic..." Rachel said drawing my attention to the left side of the grand ballroom. A growl escaped her now. "... I see Gar brought Terra."

I shook my head, giving her a nervous chuckle. "Go ahead, I think I'm going to grab a drink."

She hesitated then rolling her eyes headed for them. Me,... I released a sigh into the noisy air, my presence so far unnoticed. Stepping to the open bar I forced a smile to the bartender, who gave me a hesitant smile, his eyes checking around our surroundings then handing me a glass of champagne then quickly turning away. I was underage, and he knew it,... but I think he could tell I needed a little release... and I was merely thankful I didn't have to plead.

The moment I lifted the glass to my lips, I felt a hand upon my back. "Kori..."

I turned, knowing perfectly well it wouldn't be Dick,.. his voice was far too familiar for me to be confused. I turned, giving him a slight smile. "Roy."

His eyes wandered over me with a weak smile. "You look amazing."

Now if I hadn't made it apparent already... I had ended things with Roy... that was a week ago. And why not? ... I was losing everything else I had... why not contribute more to my misery? In truth... I couldn't be with anyone right now and I know you're probably assuming I broke up with Roy as a result of the guilt I had for Dick and that I was hoping by doing so he would continue to try to speak with me... but that just isn't true. I was a mess right now... I knew it... you expected it... the public fed off of it... and Dick... well he fought to change it. In the end, I wasn't happy and I wasn't capable of making Roy happy, so instead of him feeling guilt for staying with someone in my condition... I cut him loose. In fact I had separated myself from everyone ... aside from the occasional visit from Rachel... which wasn't too often for I had taken time off from school, ... that's not to say I just skipped or forgot about it, no, I was still doing the work from home, only I had an epic excuse in the shape of Komi as a distress signal that I needed to be home with my mother... who, aside from the event tonight, she wasn't actually even home... I just couldn't face the world I once belonged to.

I nodded, well aware that Roy resented my sudden break up with him. "Thank you... but, it's not necessary." As I tried to step away from him, he followed.

"I was hoping you'd show."

"I didn't really have a choice..." I paused pointing into the center of the crowd to my mom. "... my mother made me."

He nodded, a chuckle escaping him. I would have been somewhat charmed by his laugh had I not been so succumbed by fear in this moment. I had been away from the world, locked away in my house for some time now, ... well at least for me. I know if it was Rachel, she would have been perfectly unchanged but I,... I was different. Human interaction, I felt,... was more difficult than I had remembered. I felt... odd... powerless against the judgmental eyes of others. Now, of course, not all were judging me negatively, ... no, my mind had created that perception on its own.

He stepped in front of me now, his broad shoulders leaning toward me. "I was hoping you and I could..."

"No..." I said carelessly, my eyes focused on the crowd to ensure I was not surprised by the arrival of Richard, which I knew would occur if I was not careful. "... I told you Roy... I can't be with you... nor can I deal with being around you.. or anyone else for that matter." I looked to him now. "I don't even want to be here, so just pretend that I'm not."

The sadness that set over him would normally have stabbed guilt into me,... but I felt nothing. Inhaling deeply I stepped away from him, leaving him to his thoughts. I walked in silence, sipping at my champagne for a short while before a familiar,... haunting sound, one which instantly ignited the fear I felt at an alarming rate, sounded from a short distance from me. I turned to find Dick... he stood in conversation with one of the community's several rich men... I couldn't remember his name, yet it didn't matter. Dick's voice sounded very calmly in response to a question being tossed his way. I couldn't help but take notice of how handsome he looked in this moment... and it was now that I noticed an unfamiliar face beside him... this must have been the girl Rachel had mentioned before.

Before he could spot me, I quickened my pace in the opposite direction, pausing only as I raced around a corner. My eyes were shut now, my breathing strained as I leaned back into the corner.

"Kori..."

My eyes snapped open, a smile immediately forced. "Bruce..." I swallowed hard as he stepped to me. "... it's a beautiful celebration." My eyes avoided his as they glanced around at the surroundings. "It gets better every year... congratulations."

I fell silent as his steps came to a pause before me. I fought the urge to look at him, but his silence drew me into his gaze. He stared down at me with concern. His voice now settling over me in a sturdy manner. "Kori... it's great to finally see you. We've missed you around the house. Alfred asked that I give you a hello on his behalf."

I nodded, my nerves magnifying with each awkward passing second. My voice, no matter how much I fought it... it sounded shaky. "Thank you... I have missed all of you as well."

It was now that Bruce's demeanor softened, his voice, while still strong, filled with concern. "Listen... Kori... I don't know what happened between you and Dick... " he paused, sending a smile to a passing greeting from someone within the crowd. "... he's been a mess... and I know..."

I could feel tears rushing to my eyes, but I did not cry. "I don't know what to say about any of this... so... I think it's best if we just..." I fell silent... my voice too shaky to pronounce recognizable words.

I felt a firm hand upon my shoulder, and I looked up to find a comforting smile upon Bruce's face. "It'll work out... you two always figure something out." He cleared his throat, adjusting his tie now, and staring into the crowd. "Time will continue to prove this."

My chest cramped in a strong sense of pain... I knew I wanted to cry, and as he walked away... I wasn't sure I would be able to hold back.

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**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

My palms were sweating now,... I stood before one of Bruce's colleagues and my mind was focused on anything other than the conversation at hand. There... leaning back against the distant corner of the ballroom, standing in front of Bruce ... there she was. I had kept my eye on her since she first arrived, and they never really wandered away from her if only to smile, nod, or acknowledge someone in my presence.

She stood there, cowering before Bruce, as, what I was assuming, was the result of the conversation he had probably forced upon her. Since she had arrived she had kept mostly to herself,... I knew what she was doing. Her eyes scanned over the crowd in a worried gaze the majority fo the time, and I knew she was hoping to avoid me at all cost. I had looked away from her for a moment to acknowledge the gentleman speaking to me, and when I looked back she was running around the corner. It was clear she had finally spotted me, and while I knew this was my only chance at speaking with her... I hesitated.

She looked much thinner now then when I last spoke to her, she seemed weak, tired, sad... and I was struggling with the words I would say to her. Regardless, she looked nothing short of stunning in the black gown she wore... and it was hard not to notice that she still wore the bracelet I had given her upon her frail wrist... the realization alone giving me a fragment of hope. I wasn't sure what I would say, nor was I capable at this moment of anticipating her reaction to seeing me finally.

I could feel Abby tugging at my arm, but I was more focused on Kori, who, upon the departure of Bruce, had headed down the short hallway to her right. I immediately followed her, ... this was my chance... I knew where she was headed, and I couldn't let this opportunity alone with her pass. I ignored the whine Abby gave off as I removed her arm from mine and rushed toward Kori. By the time I reached the very spot she had once stood in, I looked down the hallway to find it empty. I stepped, every so carefully down the narrow hallway, as not to alert her that someone was following her. I stepped up the short staircase and paused at its peak, inhaling deeply, trying to stifle my nerves as I stood before the roof access metal door.

Lifting a hand to the door knob, I turned it slowly, trying to make as little amount of noise as possible. As I stepped out into the chilled night, my eyes wandered over the roof, .. Kori's muffled voice echoing in curses to herself. I swallowed hard when my eyes rest upon her. She sat against a bench-like slab concrete object to my left, ... this was it... my heart was beating feverishly now, but I had to keep moving.

It was only when I stepped closer to her,... her still unaware of my presence... that I noticed a thin cigarette pressed between her lips. Her attention was lowered to the purse within her grasp as her hands dug through its contents... I'm assuming for a lighter. I cleared my throat, her eyes immediately lifting to mine in surprise. Her entire body froze at my presence... no words forming.

"May I?" I asked, motioning to the space beside her. I hesitated in sitting with her as she remained silent... I wanted to keep my place in front of the door in case she tried to flee.

I could see her begin to shake, consumed in nerves, as she forced a nod. It was this that made me finally join her. We sat silent for a moment, the muffled sounds of the celebration happening below us prevented official silence aside from the breeze that swept around us. My gaze was focused on her, and hers was lowered to her purse, her posture conforming to a slouch.

"That's an awful habit." I said, slowly lifting my hand toward her, removing the cigarette from her lips. It was now that she looked to me. The look in her eyes tore at my composure... I knew she was conflicted in this moment, ... but I was thankful that she allowed me to be in her presence. I sighed, looking to the sky now and flicking the cigarette to the floor. "I ... uhhh..." I paused, inhaling deeply,... I was well aware this would be difficult, but this was almost unbearable... her silence deafening to me. "I see you're still wearing the bracelet I gave you..." A nervous laugh escaped me. "... you can't be too upset with me if your still wearing it."

It was now that she finally spoke, her voice caressing my senses. "I promised."

I was drawn to her suffering eyes now, a smile curling at the edges of my lips. I couldn't deny her words brought me comfort. "Are you... I mean..." I ran a hand through my hair in a stifled chuckle. "... are you enjoying the celebra..."

"I'm sorry."

A lump in my throat surfaced... my eyes moved to hers never feeling so relieved in my life. "I... I don't..." Damn,... I couldn't even speak... an apology from her was the last thing I expected.

I paused as she inhaled deeply, a small whimper escaping her as she looked to the night sky now. "I just... I know there's nothing I can ever say..." her voice became ever more shaken at this point. "... there's nothing I can do to change or take back what I said..." My heart raced again as she looked to me now, the glazing of her eyes sharpened the tenseness in my chest. "... and..."

"Don't..." I interrupted. True, her words she had left me with that day after the argument served as nothing more than daggers ... enough to leave permanent scars ... but I didn't care... not anymore. I just wanted to see her smiling again. I swallowed hard as she sniffled slightly. "... this was my fault Kori. And I don't want you to feel bad about..."

"Don't make this easy for me, Richard."

My eyes widened as she said this... she may have been speaking calmly with me, but the fact alone that she called me Richard meant that she was more than bothered by me still. "Kori... just listen to me... I don't care what you said... or whether or not you meant it ... I just can't keep going like this. Things have to change."

"That's what went wrong in the first place." She shrugged her petite shoulders, the breeze carrying her exotic scarlet hair behind her. "Something did change."

I exhaled deeply,... my gaze still upon hers. "Tell me what you want me to do Kori... because... it... its like you said, you rely on our friendship to get by... and me,... do you really think I don't depend on it any less than you do?" I shrugged, helplessly. "This can't be how things end... I wont let it."

"I can't change the way I feel, Dick. I'm never going to be able to come to terms with what I did."

I found myself smile as she lowered her gaze to her purse. I could tell I was beginning to ware her down. I cleared my throat, placing a hand upon her shoulder. "I'm not asking you to." She looked to me narrow eyed. "I'm only asking... begging... for a chance. I realize things can't ever really go back to the way they were... but I'd like to say we at least tried." The silence from her that followed my words plunged me back into fear. "I'm desperate Kor."

I stood immediately as she did, her frantic pacing in front of me didn't ease the situation in the least. It was silent, I gave her a moment to her thoughts which I was certain were spinning in a frenzy. Then,... my eyes widened as she came to a halt, facing me now.

"And if it doesn't work? ... what then? You can't expect me to believe that you just forgive me that easy... without explanation or..."

"Kor,..." I couldn't control the words now as they fled from my lips eagerly. I could tell she wanted nothing more than for us to be okay, and I was hoping I could convince her it was in fact possible. "... you're the most important thing in my life... there will never be a time where I will push you away. I'm just asking that you return to me... I need you to trust me." I hesitated. "I was angry ... and jealous and... the point is..." I stepped toward her, staring down at her intensely. "... I know now that I can't be selfish with you anymore,... and I wont be... I just need you know its hard. It's a struggle,... believe me... but I am trying." I took a step back my hands out at my sides. "You... You've been the one constant amount of happiness in my life and now... now that you're running from me... I don't know what to do... I don't who I am without you."

"I hurt you..." she shook her head, her eyes crying before me. "... I can't ever change that."

I looked to the ground, kicking my foot slightly as I placed my hands in my pockets with a shrug. "The only way you can hurt me is to push me away." I looked to her again... this felt like the last opportunity I had to sway her. "Don't push me away."

A small giggle escaped her... not a happy one, more of a cover up to a whimper. She lowered her head into her hands submerging herself in conflict. I knew as well as she did that we both wanted things to get better and sure, it would be hard, but we were never going to be content with the way things were as of now. "I don't... I don't even know where we would start. How do you continue a friendship so shattered?"

I smiled, taking a deep breath as if discarding every negative emotion I once felt, I took her hand. "I'll show you."

We walked in silence, her hand in mine as I led her back down to the party. The moment we stepped toward the crowd, I felt her hand leave mine. I turned to find her shaking her head nervously. "What's wrong?"

"I can't... I'm gonna... " I paused noticing her frantic gaze which lingered back at the gawking eyes and gasps that lingered upon us. "I'm gonna end up crying... or embarrassing myself... or..."

I took her hand pulling her toward me now, "I'm right here with you alright? You'll be fine... just breathe."

I left no room for her to debate with me over the situation. I merely kept my grasp upon her hand firm as we walked to the center of the dance floor. I could feel a slight blush develop over me as I faced Kori, sending her in a twirl then stepping into her as I initiated the dance.

"I thought you hated dancing?" She whispered, her hands meeting mine in proper execution.

I shrugged, leaning into her in a slight hug, my lips against her ear. "I can't make an exception for you?"

We fell silent now, my eyes giving way as I held her close in my arms while we danced. The sensation of her body against mine was one my memory could never fully bring justice to... the depth of emotion I felt at this moment was unexplainable... it was a healing moment. A shutter ran through my limbs as Kori finally rested her head comfortably upon my shoulder... the moment, everything around me, aside from her,... it cease to exist.

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**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

"Look at them..." I laughed as I passed a glance to Gar... there wasn't one person in the room, that was not dancing, whose eyes weren't on Dick and Kori. " ... they are too much sometimes."

Gar shook his head. "I knew they'd finally work things out. I just wish it didn't take so long."

"Do you think it'll last?" Vic asked, handing Gar and I a glass of champagne.

I shrugged. "We'll make sure of it."

We, along with everyone else in the room paused as the song came to a halt... a roar of clapping commencing. I kept my eyes on Kori and Dick as they slowly made their way toward us. Dick... he looked as happy as ever.. and yet, Kori seemed slightly flustered. That's not say she wasn't happy they had finally managed to talk... she just seemed hesitant about all that had happened. She told me she wished it could have ended any other way... and that she regretted the words she had said but that they had to be revealed in some way.

I smiled as Vic and Gar cheered for the two when they came to halt before us.

"It's about damn time," Vic laughed. He placed a hand upon Dick's shoulder. "You two aren't meant to be at odds." He looked to Kori now. "And you little lady, best not be pulling another stunt like disappearing for weeks at a time again." He shrugged. "We weren't a full group without you."

It was now that Kori smiled,... I had made it my goal of the evening to stay focused on her. I really needed her to get out of this depression phase she was swimming in... the truth being it was getting a little obnoxious. I'd have to go to her house and convince her that Dick still wanted to be her friend... then she'd deny the truth... then I'd be left with a nagging Richard, who would latch onto me expecting every detail of my time with her. How was she? ... Is she alright? ... Did you tell her I said... blah blah blah...

Which is why I was smiling now, a smile that lingered as Kori spoke... and while the nervousness in her voice had not faded entirely... I could tell she was truly happy in this moment.

"I... I'm so sorry..." she looked to me. "All of you. I was just..."

"You don't have to explain yourself Kor." Gar said stepping to her and placing an arm around her. "Just so long as you and Dick talking means your friends again and all is right in the world... and..." he looked to Vic in a far to excited attitude. "... and then that means we can all go back to that beautiful game system of yours."

Kori giggled as Vic joined now, his hands moving in an expressionistic manner. "Oh yeaa... big flat screen tv... all the junk food in the world... all at our demand."

"Right,... because that's what she missed most about you two... your nagging and fighting. What...your homes aren't stalked with any of those things?" I said, receding back into my monotone voice.

Gar shrugged. "Not back at my place... "

"And we already cleaned the kitchen out at my house." Vic cheered.

I rolled my eyes as the two grabbed their dates in excitement and headed onto the dance floor.

"So..." Kori said, clearing her throat. "... Rachel... I wanted to thank you... you know, for all the time you spent with..."

"Save it." I laughed. "I'm just glad you two aren't ignoring each other... I can't take another second of Dick begging me for the scoop on you. Now you two don't have to use me as the middle man... you can just ... I don't know... talk... like normal people."

"Very supportive Rae." Dick laughed.

I shrugged. "Yea well... I do what I can."

I remained silent,now, in the corner, observing the hesitant and nervous interaction between my two friends as they tried to adjust to being around each other again. It was obvious the two still had feelings for each other... the difference now, they knew it wasn't one-sided, which of course made things slightly more difficult... but they were trying. Which isn't to say there weren't awkward glances between the two now and then, or nervous laughs... but overall things seemed to be at a good start.

So yea... all seemed as it should have been in the world... birds chirping... childlike laughter in the air... rainbows and unicorns... all that stereotypical shit meant to resemble happiness... but in my mind I was only worried about tomorrow, and how things would play out then. It was Sunday... the last day before it was back to that oh so wonderful school we all couldn't wait to get back too... now if only there was a designated font as to relay sarcasm in its purest form...

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**(Richard Grayson's POV**)

"Let's get out of here." I said lowering my voice to Kori.

Her eyes narrowed, and while I knew she was still nervous around me, I only forced more confidence to flow from me to make her feel more comfortable in the situation to prove I was perfectly content with her presence... which of course, I was just as hesitant as she was... only I had to stay focused on preventing this night from being ruined... I had only once chance to fix this.

She shrugged. "Where would we go?"

"Does it matter?"

As she shook her head, I casually accepted her hand and slowly led her from the celebration. We drove for a short while, then I called to the driver to come to a halt.  
I smiled as Kori's eyes focused back at the Manor. She looked to me with a raised brow. "Dick...?"

Leading her from the limo I shook my head with a laugh. "It's just a place where we can spend time together without interruption... get your mind out of the gutter." It was now that a giggle came from her... which caused me to turn in her direction, walking backward as I continued speaking. "I see someone's calming down now."

She shook her head, trying her best to seem comfortable in the situation... but I knew soon enough she would crack. "So what's the plan then?"

I shrugged. "I haven't seen you in what feels like forever... I could care less what we do as long as it's just you and me."

"Alright..." she came to a halt... her thoughts consuming her now. I raised a brow as she looked back at me with a suspicious gleam in her eyes. "Are you sure you don't mind what we do?" I hesitated, we may have been distant lately, but her expressions were still far too predictable to me... ones that I had grown to miss. I gave her a hesitant nod, which sent her into laughter. "Alright... if you're sure?"  
I nodded again, my eyes wandering over her in pure desire as she removed her high heels, carrying them in her hands now. Her gorgeous body leading me into the house now. We stopped in the kitchen and she turned to me with pleading eyes. "How about that rain check?"

I felt my heart jump slightly... I don't know how she could make me feel this way but... she never failed to excite me. I nodded. "Sounds great."  
Within a half hour we sat in my room upon the floor, a plate of spaghetti and two bottles of wine before us. I found myself captivated by her presence, her laugh alone as she spoke of Komi's inevitable capture by the cops, sent chills down my spine.

"So... how long is she there for?" I asked, smiling against her giggling which echoed around me.

She shrugged. "I don't even really understand all of it... my mother and I are suppose to go to the court-house next week, but I'll probably end up having to go alone... you know my mom, she probably already has plans to leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"I'll go with you."

I smiled as she did, then lifting the bottle of wine to her lips she stared around at my room. My nerves jolted as she noticed the broken picture frame on my dresser, you know, the one of us at Christmas time. I hesitated, unsure what she was thinking as she took it into her hands.

"Careful... there's broken glass."

She nodded. "I can see that." She smiled at me. "Someone was angry."

"I'm not anymore." I assured her.

Her eyes remained on the photograph for a prolonged period of time. It was at this exact moment, my fear of us falling apart completely faded. "This was a fun Christmas." her giggle sounded again. "Things seemed so much easier back then."

"It'll be that way again Star. I promise." Her eyes snapped to mine in what I took as pure passion... I knew why... I had just called her Star, which while I meant it in this moment... I wouldn't have noticed had she not been looking to me this way. I was about to push my luck... but I couldn't stop myself... I was finally happy again. I lowered my gaze nervously to the floor. "Stay here..." I swallowed hard as I glanced to her, her gaze was no longer on me but rather the wine in her hand. She was making this indecisive expression... one that always rose untamable excitement in me. She was in thought now, the edge of her bottom lip tucked between her porcelain teeth. "Stay the night with me."

"We have school tomorrow and..."

"So what?" I laughed. "It wouldn't be the first time you've stayed the night when we have school." I shrugged. "You can get ready here and in the morning we can stop by your house real quick to change. It'll be fine."

I raised a brow as she hesitated, and I could see her inhale deeply. "... alright... yea."

A sense of awkwardness settled over her once again and it was tainting the utter happiness I felt. "So..." I smiled as her eyes moved to mine. "... any regrets in being here so far?"

She shook her head, and our conversation quickened now. I was relieved at how excited she seemed to be in front of me. It was as if with every passing moment, she found it easier to allow herself to return to the old days. It helped that we were discussing past memories, but that didn't mean she was any less invested in each laugh or smile she sent my way.

We had been in conversation for at least an hour... I'm just guessing though,... time wasn't exactly a priority to me as of now... and then suddenly, without reason... the mood around us changed... for me, not so much her. An unshakable focus settled over her. I remained still, admiring her every movement as she erupted into prolonged laughter. I wasn't quite sure I understood the full extent of the reason for her contagious laughter as it sparked but I figured it might have something to do with the amount of wine she had consumed, which surprisingly, was more than me. That angelic delivery of such bewitching sounds as they escaped from her tantalizing lips had mesmerized me... lingering over my emotions. I had decided in this moment, as her symphony of giggles continued, that I would do everything I could to refuse her departure from me before I had the chance to express these feelings I had told myself I would hold back on.

No... not anymore... I had all the proof sitting before me... I felt the urgency rush through me...I couldn't hold back this strenuous amount of emotion any longer. The weight of those agonizing eighteen days, filled with suppressed emotion for her, ... it all came rushing over me. My gaze never left her as I leaned forward,... the intensity in my eyes, which I was well aware encompassed every inch of me, was the only thing to draw her attention from her laughter. I ignored her uncertain posture as I continued to lean toward her, her jade eyes drawing me closer in a trance,... her body had fallen completely still. I swallowed hard then just let go of any amount of skeptical consequences that could rise at my actions. I was leaned over on my knees, hovering over her weak shoulders, my lips igniting as I placed them against hers in a tender kiss. I pulled away slightly, ... a smile escaping me as I felt her body shutter before me. I ran the backside of my hand gently across her cheek, the sight of her eyes still closed in the heat of the moment intensified my appetite for her. A crimson curl of hers brushed against my hand as I gently removed the elegant clip from her hair, setting her hair in a free fall as it framed itself around her thin figure. With one hand I laced my fingers through her hair gripping the back of her head as my lips met hers again... the other hand, aggressively shoving aside the empty plates and bottles of wine which separated us, discarding them as my body migrated closer to hers. Our lips cascaded against one another's and what began as a soft, gentle caress, quickly evolved into a passionate embrace. I took her bottom lip into mine, savoring her sweet taste,... my tongue teasing at her, begging to be acknowledged. Her once hesitant and guarded posture gave way, her hand met mine, which was fastened upon her waist. I could not suppress the small grunt which slipped from my mouth as her delicate touch trailed up my arm, fixing itself behind my elbow and pulling me into her. Everything in this moment occurred around us in a slow, heaven like daze which only amplified as her lips parted. Our tongues collided in a heated exchange of an, up until now, forbidden touch. The sensation awoke a fierce surge of an unimaginable vibration through my body... desire, passion, craving, obsession, all feelings which set fire to my senses. Her essence was one which indescribably remained lost to explanation. As the fire within me raged ever brighter I adjusted my position, guiding her, as well as myself to our feet and immediately I lifted her into my grasp. Her arms latched onto me as I delivered her to my bed, our lips and tongues determined to taste every inch of our mouths as I positioned myself over her now. I ignored the shutter that developed over me in continuous waves of unexperienced, relentless vibrations as I pressed my body against hers, her releasing a brief whimper of passion beneath me as I did this.

It was now that I had to pause... I was getting far too excited in this moment and refused myself the option to lose control. Which obviously is easier said then done, because believe me, ... I wanted her... I needed her, every nerve in my body was craving her,... and yet... I couldn't... wouldn't treat her like any other girl I had been with. I inhaled deeply lowering my forehead against her collar-bone, basking in her fragrance which had gone unnoticed in this distracting situation until now. A small laugh escaped me as I tuned in to her stressed breath which found its way in a gentle breeze through my hair. I didn't know what to do at this point... it took everything I had to ignore the seductive plead in her eager eyes to continue. And then it happened... the last thing I expected to fall from her lips...

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything." I replied, raising my gaze to hers once again.

She hesitated, her eyes moving frantically over my features. As she licked at her lips, something she did when she was nervous... a fragment of panic set over me. "Did you mean what you said?"

I removed my presence from atop her now, sitting at the edge of the bed, my gaze focused on hers in anticipation. "What do you mean?"

I extended a hand down to her, helping pull her to a seated position beside me. She ran a hand through her luscious hair then locked her eyes to the ground. "Did you mean it... when you said you loved me?"

I felt my eyes go wide in shock. I didn't realize she had been aware of the brief conversation we had had which seemed so long ago now. I had convinced myself she was oblivious to our exchange of words that sleepy morning. As her eyes cowered before mine in anticipation I inhaled deeply... I knew the answer... you know the answer... and a part of me is confident she knew the answer as well... but if she needed to hear me confirm it... I would. I leaned forward sending her a firm kiss, then looked up to her intently. "More than you know."

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**(A/N) Alright so... YAY! After all this time it's finally here... RobStar moment sealed. lol Aside from that... sorry for taking so long to post this chapter... I just wanted to be sure it was perfect... I originally had this chapter spaced into two parts... but I figured what the hell just make it one, the anticipation was killing me anyway. So... I hope you enjoyed it... and please remember to R/R =]**


	19. Bulletproof Heart

Chapter Nineteen: **Bulletproof Heart**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

Happiness... how do you define it? The answer?... you can't, at least not in my opinion. Happiness is perceived by people in different ways, shapes, and forms, each delicately absorbed by each individual in equally different ways. For instance, when Rachel is happy, ... you might catch a glimpse of that smile of hers, if only for a moment... Dick, he'd have that seductive gleam about him, ready to pounce on the first girl he saw, which obviously has changed now,... Vic, his words would become high in volume, his hands and body moving in enthusiasm while he attempted to join everyone in his ecstatic mood... Gar,... oh Gar... he was hardly ever not happy, but when he was... his childish grin peeled over his face permanently, his squeal of a voice would fade into laughter. And me,... well... I have had my share of happiness... but nothing compared to this moment. My entire insight on happiness was now... dramatically altered, ...in a good way though,... believe me.

Now, let's be clear... If you were to look up the precise definition of happiness you would find a broadly generalized description... fluffed up with immaculate adjectives and vaguely expressed personalization... which is fine... as I said, happiness is different for everyone. For me... I'll let you in on what that definition truly feels like because as of right now... while I feel as though happiness is not a word that can fully bring life to all that I am feeling at this moment... it will have to do.

Take this morning for example... I'm just waking up... the astonishing events of last night which had revealed themselves quite unexpectedly for me immediately consuming my every thought. The only reason I knew it was morning, at this point, was the hardly recognizable sound of my phone as it vibrated within my purse... a sound my mind subconsciously became alert to from experience and habit. I knew I had set my alarm before drifting to sleep in the arms of ... well I wasn't entirely sure how to refer to him now... but you are all well aware of who. The moment my eyes squinted open, ... my surroundings flashing vibrantly all around me... my heart kick-started in an unspeakable amount of... well, happiness. It felt as though every part of me, at a cellular level, was tingling in sparks which continued to heighten, dropping only a fragment of emotion before intensifying once again in this never-ending cycle... it reminded me of the feeling you get when dropping from the highest point of a roller coaster... your stomach in knots... your heart... your breath... it's all strained and out of place... not even your mind can focus on anything other than the utter anticipation... excitement... the unsubsiding thrill.

I inhaled deeply, ... my gaze directed itself to Richard as if to merely confirm the existence of last night... he was still asleep, and as my eager eyes admired over his features a smile crept across my face. I lingered in admiring his slumber as my mind hesitated in the comprehension that last night being nothing short of reality... which isn't to say my mind wasn't, naturally, trying to excuse last night as nothing more than a dream... fantasy,... and of course, my mind was good at trying to distract me from the now... but I refused it this time.

I paused taking in the position in which we were tangled against each other... his body was turned toward me, pressed against mine, his right arm tucked beneath my head and wrapped around to rest upon my back, while his left arm remained locked upon my waist,... our feet overlapping each others. I inhaled deeply, exhaling as slow as possible, hoping not to wake him. I could feel his breath playing against my forehead, his face positioned downward at an angle at me. The pounding in my chest grew louder, and I knew if I did not untangle myself from him soon,... he would become aware of this fact soon.

I ignored the headache which invaded my mind... attempting to stab at my current ecstatic attitude, but I would not allow it... I do not think anything could shake the emotions which consumed me now. I hesitated in movement, a blush settling over me as I realized my right arm was positioned beneath his, my hand planted upon his back, his flesh residing blissfully beneath my fingers.

Somehow... and with much difficulty, ... I stepped from the bed, managing to untangle myself from his grasp without waking him. I paused staring down at him,... he was so peaceful in this moment. It was now that my mind slipped into nervousness. I quickly disappeared into the bathroom as he stirred slightly. I paused before the bathroom mirror... a giddy smile across my lips. I shook my head, in laughter,... still consumed in shock of my moment with Dick last night. He was so... in control it just... I wasn't worried or concerned about anything... well until now. I stepped into the shower, the events playing through my memory in vibrant colors... and then... my mind took a stab at my happiness once more. Fear crept over me... disintegrating the chills I once had at the thought of Dick's presence hovering over me, his lips exploring me in such desire... the fact was... what if ... what if he regretted it. I mean sure, now we were friends but, ... maybe I was getting ahead of myself in all of this excitement.

I stepped from the shower now, fitting a towel securely around myself then pausing before the bathroom mirror. I inhaled deeply... my mind couldn't' help but resume its regrets... which actually aren't regrets at all about last night, Dick and me... no, they were about these thoughts my mind continued to stifle my happiness with. What was I going to say to him? ... or worse, what would he say to me?... that he regrets everything? ... but wants to be friends? ... that he doesn't want to risk hurting our friendship even more by adding a relationship?... or that last night was only a result of the alcohol? ... or... FUCK... I just don't know...

My mind leapt from my thoughts as I heard movement outside the bathroom door... great, he's awake and I... I looked to myself in the mirror with a deep exhale... I was sure to be a stumbling, blushing display of emotions. Everything fell silent... I heard a few steps toward the door and for some reason, perhaps because no one could see me... my mind decided that as Dick's feet came to a halt before the bathroom door with a knock that it would make sense for me the lower myself to a crouch in front of the bathroom sink, as if by doing so I was hidden in pain sight. I mean,... I realize its pointless... I mean, its obvious he knows where I am... and the door was locked so... yea... that's Kori Anders for you... and yes I realize I just referred to myself in the third person, but as of right now I felt like a stranger looking in on my life from the sidelines... I suppose I felt like you... although I'm sure you're enjoying my embarrassment and uncertainty far more than I am.

"Kori..." his voice sounded with that amazing morning voice of his.

I opened my mouth to speak, and while I tried to pull it together... I was well aware my voice sounded shaky. "Uh... yea?" Why I responded in the terms of a question... I will never know.

I heard him clear his throat. "Hey uh... you almost done in there...? Kinda have to go to the bathroom myself."

I slowly stood... looking to the mirror once again... great... my eyes were wide in obvious uncertainty and nervousness. I hesitated, reaching for the doorknob, and slightly jumped when he spoke again.

"Look,... I have some clothes out here if you don't want change into that dress again."

I inhaled deeply, then tugging tightly on the white towel around me I slowly opened the door, peeking out first. All my fear of seeing him vanished as his eyes slowly trailed up my existence and his eyes locked on to my gaze... my heart jumped slightly as he licked at his lips, his ever so attractive side smile making an appearance.

He gave me a quick nod. "Morning."

That was all it took to get my heart racing in excitement once again... why didn't he seem as awkward in this moment as I did? ... whatever the reason... I'm just gonna go with it. Clearing my throat I sent him a smile. "Good Morning..."

I remained perfectly still, the entire moment happening at an oddly slow pace. He stepped toward me, a hand braced upon the door as he pushed it all the way open stepping around me. "The clothes are on the bed..." he said, and before he could close the door, he paused... that smile shinning back at me again. I swallowed hard as he leaned his upper body toward me, taking my chin between his thumb and index finger, and kissing me gently. "I'll be quick."

I stood frozen as he shut the door in front of me... and it wasn't until I heard the shower start up again that I broke into a scarce breathed laugh amongst myself. I lifted a hand to my forehead, my mind moving at an alarming rate. Wait... he was the exact opposite of what I had expected. But... again... what do I expect...? ... where do we go from here? ... I don't... I paused, lowering my hand to my lips. The sensation of his against mine still sparked an imprint of emotion against them.

Shaking my head, I inhaled deeply, turning to the clothes which lay on the bed before me. I stepped to them narrow eyed. Hold on... these are... my clothes? I stepped to them, lifting them into my hands... how does he have...? I paused... wait, these are from Miami... the ones I had been yet to find. I rolled my eyes... I knew I had forgotten to pack something... and at the looks of it... he must have packed them in his luggage... but why he kept them ... I don't know.

I paused, noticing a pair of matching red undergarments. My eyes widened... why would he keep my bra and thong... I sighed, these were my favorite until I had assumed them lost. I jumped as the sound of the shower came to a halt. I quickly dressed then the moment I heard his footsteps coming toward the door, my nerves ignited again. I didn't know what to do with myself. I quickly pulled my phone from my purse and tried to make myself busy, swallowing hard against the lump in my throat at the door swung open. My eyes hesitantly lifted in his direction. He stood there in all his charming glory... smiling seductively back at me as he crossed his arms against his shirtless, toned chest and leaned against the door frame.

"You look cute... better than I remember in that outfit."

I shook my head. "Why didn't you tell me you had these? I've been looking for them forever." I paused, diverting my gaze back to my phone... the sight of him standing in nothing but a towel wrapped snug around his waist rose far too much excitement in me... and the fact that he just stood there in his casual demeanor only made it harder not to look. "You don't find it odd that you kept in your possession the bra and underwear of your best friend?"

He chuckled, making his way toward his dresser. "It doesn't seem so odd now." I looked to him, and he looked to me with a raised brow. "Now, does it?"

I could feel a slight blush shower over my features. I ran a hand through my hair, tucking a few strands behind my ear. "Yea well..." I swallowed hard, falling short of words as he lifted a white T-shirt over his head. "Ummmm,... we should probably... uh..." A small giggle escaped me, without my consent as he paused looking to me, his hand fixed upon the towel upon his waist.

"Do you mind?" He laughed.

My eyes widened and I immediately turned around, to allow him to change without my eager eyes on him. "...sorry." I inhaled deeply. "We should... umm,... get going. We wouldn't want to be late."

There was a brief silence, then as I heard his steps coming toward me, my heartbeat quickened. Soon I felt him come up from behind me, his arms were around my waist in a warm hug. My eyes fluttered shut as he kissed at my cheek. "Let's not go today."

I inhaled deeply, turning toward him, ... his grip on me loosened for a moment, then the secondmy body faced his, it tightened around my waist again. "I... I think it's best that we go to school... wouldn't want people suspecting anything."

My breath became strained as he removed his right hand from my waist and positioned it firmly upon my jaw. His eyes remained on mine in an intense gaze as he slowly leaned toward me, his lips meeting mine for a brief moment, his voice then reaching my ears with a sweet laugh. "And what is there to be suspicious of?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but his lips were against mine again. I'll admit, while this was precisely what I wanted from him in this moment, ... I was still nervous. Last night I had liquid courage on my side... and now... I was adjusting to the fact that my best friend was thrusting his confidence over me without hesitation. A confidence which left no room for conversation beyond his touch. Now, while I was nervous,... the moment his hands moved to either side of my jaw, him stepping into me as he thrust his tongue against mine... my nerves... well... what nerves? I found myself lifting my hands to his chest,... the sensation of his chiseled abs... regardless of the white shirt that separated my touch from his skin... it made me shutter.

It was only at the sound of a knock upon his bedroom, following the familiar voice of Alfred, did we pull apart... as a result of me though. I shoved Dick back, my eyes wide. My fear of being caught with him was ... embarrassing. Not because I was embarrassed by him, only that... while this was an amazing moment for me... it was still something I had to adapt to.

"I'll be down in a minute." Dick replied to Alfred, whose steps quickly faded down the hall. Dick looked to me with a laugh as he shook his head. "You're adorable when you're nervous, you know that?"

I felt my cheeks run hot, my response, ... was silence. I just watched as he pulled his leather jacket from the bed, on and then, lifting my purse toward my direction... he took my hand and led me from the room. Now,... while we walked down the hallway, me submerged in a small amount of confusion from what to really expect from him, I paused... noticing that while his eyes remained firm in the direction ahead of us, that there was a smile I had never seen permanently gracing his expression. It was now that I found myself smiling... he seemed happy... really happy, and ... I was too.

He led me out into the day, and paused before his motorcycle. "Today... " he began, lifting one of the helmets over my head, proceeding with his usual routine of tightening the safety latch beneath my chin. "... it should be interesting."

I swallowed hard. "I don't... I don't think, what ever is ... what ever _this_ is..." I paused as his eyes narrowed over mine. "... I just... I think that maybe... like..." I rolled my eyes at my obnoxious stuttering right now. "... I think that its best if... you know... we kept it..." I inhaled deeply, placing a hand over the section of the helmet which resided over my forehead, and shook my head. "I just... maybe..." I fell silent as he erupted into laughter. My eyes narrowed. "What?... whats so funny?"

He shook his head, placing the other helmet over his head. "Don't worry about it Kor." I remained still as he tossed a leg over the side of his bike and revved the engine at me with a shrug. "It's probably best we keep it between us as it is... I mean... if that's what you want?"

I hesitated. "It's not that I don't... It's not ... I mean,.. it's not that I don't want any one to know. I just... I don't really know what ... this... _is_ ... or..."

His laugh silenced me once again, then lifting the stand from the bike, he sighed. "Just get on. We can talk about this later."

I remained in constant thought during the ride to school, and while I'm sure you're probably wanting to slap me across the face at such an idiot I'm being but... just know, I do want this... I want to be with Dick... I just... I... I need time to transition. As it is, I don't really know where our relationship lies other than the fact that while we were friends again... the obvious reality was that we were slowly becoming more. And believe me... I'm still dealing with the shock of it all. I mean,... when I brought you all into this part of my life... you remember the story... just back from Miami and hating myself for falling for Richard,... and yet, in no way would I ever have believed that I would be in this situation. Dick,... he seemed so casual and confident around me... no hesitation present as he kissed me, and held me,... and while I enjoyed it... I was hoping I wouldn't ruin it.

When we pulled into the school parking lot... Dick shut the engine off and hesitated. I knew he could tell I was conflicted at the moment, which is not so much about my feelings for him, because those remained unchanged, ... just that I wasn't really sure what to do with myself at the moment. I paused, my gaze lingering at the students which surrounded us, gathering before the school... nothing seemed out of the ordinary, I mean, ... Dick drove me to school all the time, and yet... I somehow felt out of place... as if everyone's eyes were on mine... judging.. which clearly wasn't so.

The thoughts which thrashed around my skull came to a halt at the presence of Dick's hand upon mine, which remained around his torso. His thumb rubbed gently across the back side of my hand, and he spoke.

"Don't stress Kor." He paused removing his helmet and looking back at me... "It's just another day."

I nodded then quickly stood, removing my helmet as well, handing it over to him. He sent me a warm smile, then tossing an arm around me, he led us both toward the school, meeting Rachel in the hallway.

I swallowed hard, forcing an innocent smile as Rachel fixed her suspicious gaze on mine. "You never came home last night." She paused, looking to Dick now. "I'm assuming things between you two are... good still?"

He nodded, removing his arm from around me and turning his attention to his locker.

"Where..." I cleared my throat. "Where are Vic and Gar?"

Rachel shrugged. "Haven't seen them yet."

There was an awkward silence, Rachel's eyes narrowing on mine. I knew she was trying to gather as much information from my frantic gaze as she could. Then... saved by the bell... as it rang I released a nervous giggle. "Well... ummm, I guess that's that." I turned to Dick, who immediately turned toward me with eager eyes. I could see him hold back from stepping toward me, my eyes widening on his in warning. I paused giving him a quick embrace, then stepped down the hallway. The disappointed look upon his features, I caught a glimpse of as I peeked back at him once, before entering my classroom, beside Rachel.

"Kori Anders'..." The teacher said, drawing me from my thoughts. I looked to him with a weak smile, then made my way to my seat beside Rachel. "... thank you for joining us. It's been a while."

I ignored the teacher as my phone vibrated from my purse. I lifted it to my gaze... a smile invading my composure.

**Dick:** _You vanished __quickly_

**Kori**:_ Nerves... sorry._

**Dick:** _Just act normal Kor. Don't stress yourself out over this_.

I smiled, a wave of relief washing over me... he always had his way calming me down.

**Dick**:_ Don't make plans after school._

**Kori:**_ Y not?_

**Dick**: _? Uh, I wanna spend time with you_

A small giggle escaped me. I paused, noticing that raised brow of Rachel glancing over at me. I smiled hesitatingly then returned my attention back to my phone.

**Kori:** _=]_

I paused, noticing Rachel still focused on me. With a sigh I sent her a text.

**Kori**: _Dick and I managed to talk everything out. Thnx again for your help while I was ... moody_

**Rachel:** _Right... no problem_

**Rachel:** _So..._

I hesitated, giving her a brief shrug in her direction, mouthing the word 'what?'

**Rachel:**_ No news?_

My eyes widened over the text. Geeze, was I being that obvious? Did she know something was different between Dick and I? ... or is it just the obvious fact that I'm over analyzing this whole scenario far too much?

**Kori:**_ No... you?_

**Rachel:** _Gar is officially dating that bitch Terra... so yea, there's that._

I laughed to myself.

**Kori**: _She's not a bitch, you just don't like her because she's just as interested in Gar as you are._

I jolted slightly, as Rachel's foot collided in mine a warning. I looked to find her glaring at me.

**Rachel**_: You better have deleted that text from your outbox... that's the last thing I need to get out._

**Kori**: _So... you're at least admitting it now?_

**Rachel**:_ Delete that one too... and yea... maybe I am... I'm conflicted_

I smiled back at her... this was awesome... perfect even. If I was ever nervous about her suspicions of Dick and I... this was my out. Bring up Gar, and she retreats defensively.

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It was halfway through the day... my class had a while five minutes before lunch and I was basically counting the seconds. I hadn't seen Richard since this morning,... as a result of our scattered schedules... but I was excited to see him again. When the bell finally rang, I stepped out of the classroom, only hear a wave of giggles. I turned to my left, tossing my purse over my shoulder, my eyes resting upon Dick. He stood there, before a group of girls that smiled and giggled in his direction. His gaze was at the floor, until I cleared my throat, his eyes smiling back at me now. He remained leaned against the row of lockers to his right, as I stepped to him.

"You never meet me before lunch."

He shrugged. "So."

I smiled, then walked beside him as we entered the food court together. We sat at out usual table, his hand gracing my back as I lowered myself into my seat. I shook my head, casting away the chills that ran through my body, and I looked to Rachel, whose glare focused on Terra and Gar.

"Dick!" came Vic's voice... he sat across from us and looked to me. "Hey little lady. Glad to see you back at school."

I nodded, but fell silent as a hand fixed itself upon my shoulder. "Kori."

I looked up, my eyes widening as I stared up at Roy.

"Can I ..." he paused passing a glance at Dick. "Can I have a word?"

I hesitated. "Umm..." I paused looking to Dick, whose smile had faded, replaced with an irritated expression.

"It'll just take a second." He urged, and before I could respond, I found myself being led from the table, my hand in Roy's. He stepped to a corner in the food court, positioning me against one of the walls. "Look..." I tried to focus on his words, but my eyes kept wandering over to Dick's who remained in a glare in our direction. "Kori..."

"What?" I said, snapping from my thoughts.

He ran a hand through his auburn hair. "Look... I just... now that you're back at school... I mean, I know you said you and I were through but..."

"We are..."

His eyes narrowed, a more confident expression settling over him. He stepped closer to me, "I think you should... reconsider."

"I... I just... I'm just in a difficult time right now." I rolled my eyes as he remained unflinching from my words. "It's me first day back at school and I need... I need time to just ..." I was at a loss of explanation. My mind struggling through the disapproving gaze of Dick's which I could feel burning into me. "My life is really complicated right now and I just need space."

"Space? For how long?"

I sighed. "I'm just going to be honest with you. I know this all sounds very... standoffish and confusing, maybe for you but..."

My eyes widened as Roy stepped into me, placing one hand on my waist, and the other along my jaw. "I miss you Kori. You and I... we never really got the chance to..."

I shook my head stepping to the side, removing his hold upon me, his eyes instantly narrowing. I lifted a hand to my forehead. "I realize this all seems a little unfair to you but... I can't... you can't do this."

"This is about Dick isn't it?" My eyes widened as I shook my head nervously. He exhaled slowly. "Look, you broke up with me because of some argument with him, and now ... now things seem fine with you two so..." He stepped to me again, running hand down my cheek. "... you and I can pick up right where we left off."

I shook my head, taking an additional step back from him. "I'm... I don't think so."

His eyes hardened. "Why? Did he tell you not to ..."

"It's not about him..." I lied, which is obvious to you, but I was hoping not to him. "I just... I need time to get back to who I am. I can't be involved with anyone right now."

As I walked away... he yelled after me. "I'm not giving up on this."

I sighed, approaching Richard, my gaze avoiding his.

"What did he have to say?" He asked, his eyes fixated in a glare upon a departing Roy.

"Nothing."

That was it... an awkward lunch pursued. Dick in a rage... me in silence... then it was back to class. I'll admit... I rather enjoyed Dick's protectiveness for me... but I was hoping no one had taken it as out of the ordinary. I just didn't want the pressure of everyone's judgement should Dick and I... if we were in fact in a relationship beyond friendship... I didn't want any outside distractions to taint what we had at the moment.

I sat in my next class consumed in thought. My gaze was focused on the teacher, and yet, while his mouth was moving, words obviously in a lecture... I heard nothing. My mind was racing... as always. I was contemplating the outcome of today... and what to expect from Dick the next time we were alone together. Of course I was anticipating its arrival, but I was still nervous, nonetheless.

I fixed my jaw against my closed fist, my mind still running circles, when the teacher repeated my name. My eyes widened, and I focused on him now. "Yes?" My heart sunk as I noticed the entire class focused on me now. "Sorry.. no, I was listening ... I just... what is the question?"

The teacher lifted a yellow post-it to my sight. "No question... your presence is requested in the principles office."

I quickly gathered my things quickly, ignoring the narrowed eyes of my classmates, then accepted the pass from my teacher then stepped into the hallway. I shook my head... that wasn't embarrassing in the very least...

I sighed, looking down at the yellow note within my grasp... unsure of why the principle would be calling me from my class. I was halfway down the hallway before my answer revealed itself to me. I felt a hand upon my wrist as a strange presence pulled me from the hallway and into an unlit room. My breath remained scarce until I looked up to the stranger.

"Dick?" I placed a hand over my chest and exhaled heavily. "You scared me."

A brief chuckle was all that sounded, before his true response was initiated. My eyes widened briefly as he stepped into me, his hands immediately upon my waist as he began to kiss me. His passionate touch was quickly reciprocated. My purse fell to the floor as he backed me into the wall behind me, his lips becoming more aggressive.

Pulling away slightly, I said, "I have to be in the office."

"No you don't." He said, his lips wandering down my neck now. His body pressed itself against mine, his tongue caressing my neck as he kissed more intensely. He paused. "It was the only way I could get you out of class."

I smiled, leaning my head back against the wall in a shutter of emotion. So this is what its like to be in the intimate eye of Dick Grayson. I felt my breath jolt slightly as his left hand lowered, teasing at my outer thigh, his lips still against me, making their way down to my collar bone. "I just... we..." my eyes shut in desire. His lips were injecting an indescribable heat which spread through my entire body with each touch. "... we shouldn't umm..." I swallowed hard as he fixed his grasp upon my thigh, lifting it slightly around him, his body leaning even closer to mine. "We... shouldn't be ... in ... here."

"Would you just relax?" He said with a smirk, his lips on mine once more.

I gave in,... he could have asked anything of me in this moment and it would be his. I tightened my leg around his waist and giving him the attention he so desperately sought. I ran a hand through his hair, gripping the dark spikes between my fingers, a small grunt escaping him as I did so. His hands moved slowly up the length of my stomach. "I missed you." He said, his voice never sounding so seductive then in this moment. As I released a giggle, his hand lowered to my waist, lifting me from the ground with ease, my hands tightening around his neck. Of course... It was now that the bell rang, and my heart jumped slightly.

"Ignore it." he whispered, his lips demanding my touch again as his strong arms tightened around my figure.

I paused. "It's only two more classes." Now, even as I said this, I was trying more to convince myself rather than him... the truth being I didn't want this to stop. I paused looking up into those baby blues once more, then sending him one last kiss before he lowered me to the floor and I grabbed my purse. I came to a stop before the door. I looked back at him, he lingered by the wall, a hand braced against it as he slouched forward slightly. "Aren't you coming?"

He laughed, avoiding my gaze. "I uh... I need a minute."

My eyes narrowed in confusion as he struggled against his breath... then, noticing the disturbance which was all too noticeable in his jeans, I could not hold back a giggle. He looked to me with a laugh, then shaking his head said, "Just get out of here."

I paused, then turned back to him, lowering my voice in a more sexual tone as I twirled a strand of hair through my hair, teasing him, I said, "Are you sure you want me to go?"

He looked to me again and I could see him swallow hard, his eyes wandering over me as I bit at my lip. "Geeze Kori..." he returned his eyes to the wall now."You're not helping."

With a laugh I stepped into the hallway, the change of scenery drawing my attention to the blush upon my cheeks. Several people looked to me curiously but I ignored them and headed to my next class... which unfortunately was one where Dick would be in. I sat in my seat, my attention drawn to the door in anticipation for his arrival. The class had already started and was a good five minutes in before he stumbled through the door, his eyes immediately meeting mine with a smile.

Now this... this was the moment I had begun to fully enjoy what ever it was that was going on between us. All others were oblivious to it and yet... when I looked to his eyes, they stared back at me with such intensity you would not even guess we were on opposite sides of the room. It felt as though he was right in front of me... teasing me... I'm supposing in revenge for my taunt a few moments ago. I tried my hardest the entire class to avert my eyes from his, but I could feel them on me constantly,... and as a result I was unable to look away.

Have you ever noticed how difficult it can be when you tell yourself not to look at someone in specific or not in a certain direction and the whole time you're trying to stay focused on anything else but your mind is constantly urging you to give in... yea well.. this was that moment. The only problem being, that now I was blushing... and stifled giggles were sounding from me each time I looked to him.

"Kori." The teacher shouted.

I looked to him, trying to suppress a giggle, and it didn't help that Dick was still focused on nothing more than me. "Yes?"

He stepped to my desk. "Focus please." I nodded, my giggles igniting again as Dick blew me a kiss from across the room. The teacher looked back at me with a glare. "Is there a problem?"

I shook my head.

The teacher stared at me for a prolonged period of time before speaking again. "Is there anything you would like to share with the rest of us here?"

I shook my head, rolling my eyes. I was in no mood for interruption of my flirtatious glances from Dick. "I get it..." I looked to the teacher with a shrug. "Your trying to embarrass me..." I inhaled deeply, giggling once more. "... success... consider me embarrassed."

His eyes narrowed in frustration. He stepped to his desk scribbling something on a small piece of paper then extending it in my direction. "There is a low tolerance for attitude... please, make your way to the office."

I was not even angry when this happened, if anything it would mean relief from that piercing azure trance, Dick had set upon me. I grabbed my things and holding back a smile I accepted the note and exited into the hallway.

**Dick**: _Enjoy __yourself_

My smile grew brighter now.

**Kori**: _This wasn't what I had anticipated when you said not to make plans after school_

**Dick**: _You wont get detention Miss Dramatic_.

**Kori**: _Regardless... this isn't over._

**Dick:** _I'm counting on it =]_

I rolled my eyes then stepped into the office. Now, I'm not sure what they were telling me, lecturing to me about... in the end, I was just glad to not have detention. I quickly made my way to my last class of the day, which went fairly quickly, then stepped out into the parking lot. I saw Dick leaning back against his bike in conversation with Vic and Gar, and as I made my way toward him, I was stopped by Rachel.

"We have a problem."

I could tell by her raised brows and cold eyes, that she was nothing short of serious. I nodded. "What's wrong?"

"I need your help... here I'll give you a ride."

I hesitated, my gaze returning to Dick, who looked to me, waving me over. Clearing my throat I said, "So... what is the problem?"

"Aren't you coming?" She said, stepping toward her car.

"I... I had ... plans..."

Her eyes narrowed, her teeth gritted now. "I said I need your help? What plans could you possibly have?"

I sighed, it was true, if Rachel was asking for help it truly meant there was something wrong. I paused, "Well,... just give me a minute."

She took my arm pulling me toward her car in a violent tug. "I realize you and Dick are_ besties_ again but this is important."

I followed willingly now, but glanced back to find Richard looking at me confused. I gave him a nervous shrug, then was immediately shoved into Rachel's car. As she sped out of the parking lot I looked to her with a sigh. "Can't you just tell me what the problem is? Maybe we can go to Dick's house and..."

"No... shut up for a second... I need to think." I hesitated as she lifted her phone and tossed it at me. "Listen to the voice-mail."

I became nervous now... what could this voice-mail possibly say that could have Rachel in such a tense mood. Inhaling deeply I lifted the phone to my ear calling her voice-mail. It was quiet for a second... then a deep voice sounded,...

I looked to her.. "It just sounds like someone's breathing into the ..."

"Shut up or you'll miss it." She said, racing around a corner.

I paused, straining my ears for what she expected me to here... and then it sounded...

"... run while you can."

My eyes widened... all the happiness I felt, ... it vanished. I lowered the phone to my lap as it fell silent on the other line. My breath was scarce now... I looked to her... "How did he get out of jail? _When_... did he get out of jail?"

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	20. To The End

Chapter Twenty: **To The End**

**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

"What was that?" I said to myself... watching in confusion as Kori lowered herself into Rachel's car.

"Dick..." Vic shouted, drawing my attention from my thoughts.

I looked to him with a shrug. "What?"

"Are we doin' this or not, man?"

I paused, my thoughts struggled to focus on anything other than Kori's figure as she disappeared with Rachel. Before I could speak, I felt a slight shove upon my shoulder, and I immediately sent a glare to Gar.

"Seriously dude, this is perfect. Karen's off with her friends for the day... there's no more you and Kori drama... Rachel and her left anyhow... and..."

"What, Gar? Just get to the point already." I said, lifting my bike helmet over my head and positioning myself over the motorcycle... a feeling of frustration setting over me. It was Vic that would reply now... leaving Gar scratching at that green mop of hair of his.

"Can we come back to your place or not?" Vic asked, stepping toward me. "I haven't really had time to hang with you guys, but Karen's giving me the day off so... whadduh you say?"

I hesitated, it didn't sound like a horrible plan, in truth I had hardly spent time with the guys in a while. My mind was always focused on Kori and trying to fix things... and now,... now it was narrowed in on why she was being so strange. It didn't bother me that she wanted to keep this new shift in our relationship a secret... to be honest, I didn't want to have to deal with the jokes and teasing which was sure to ensue from Vic and Gar... not to mention the media would have field day over the matter. No,... what I wasn't comfortable with was Kori being viewed as... I guess you could say... available. Obviously, this fact directly conflicts with the entire point of keeping our relationship a secret but that didn't ease my mind in the least.

If you recall correctly,... I had to stifle my opinion and desired actions in response to Roy taking Kori aside during lunch, earlier today... the entire moment I wanted to go after her... but again... conflict. I felt myself gritting my teeth at the sight of his hands on her waist... the way he leaned into her... the entire moment still made my blood boil. In the end,... I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this whole act up... and even found myself, in certain instances, thinking of the secrecy as nothing short of pointless. I can understand Kori doesn't want the pressure of those around us while we're still figuring out exactly where we are relationship wise... but, for me... I wasn't hesitant or unsure about this new change at all...I already knew what I wanted... I just wanted her.

And yet,... now, ... now Kori was wandering off, leaving me with the a frustrated amount of hesitancy regarding above said confidence and expectation. I found myself thinking... maybe she wasn't as satisfied by our moment together earlier in school? ... maybe I was far more comfortable in this then she was? I paused as Vic lifted a closed fist toward me, sending a few knocks upon my helmet.

"Hello?... anybody in there?" He laughed.

I inhaled deeply, then starting my bike I gave Vic a quick nod before skidding out of the parking lot. When I arrived at the Manor, ... I found Vic, Gar,... and an unexpected Terra, sitting in the living room, their eyes tuned into the television. I gave them a brief nod, then headed to my room to change into fresh clothes.

I hesitated, looking down at my phone... I don't understand why Kori was ignoring my attempts to get ahold of her. I had driven to her house before arriving here, ... frustration setting in further as I realized she and Rachel were still gone. Where they went... what they were doing...? I don't know but I suddenly found that I was scolding myself for sounding so clingy... something I hated in relationships. Which only made myself hate this moment... I wasn't clingy... but then again, this is Kori. I had always been slightly more aggressive about where she was and what she was doing... the reality of this shift in our relationship only heightening these feelings.

I placed my phone in my pocket after changing and reentered the living room. The faces of my friends... and Terra... turned to me with smiles.

"Hey..."

It was all I said before sitting back upon one of the couches, Vic to my right. My eyes scanned over the tv... a roll of the eyes was my involuntary response... they were watching the same old compilation of shows they always watched... how they ever managed to finish an actual episode while constantly flipping back and forth between several channels was beyond me... but they were enjoying themselves... and I... I was waiting for my phone to go off. I kept telling myself things were fine... not to worry... just focus on the fact of what today represented in the grand scheme of things.

I caught myself smiling as this thought passed through my mind... after all these years... holding back around Kori... hesitant eyes which lay over her beauty... pent up desires... it was all over with now. Not over as in... these feelings had diminished... no, of course not,... actually quite the opposite. Because in the end... I was finally able to say the one thing I've always wanted to... Kori was mine.

And sure... that may come off as kind of creepy and very stalkereske... but assume what you will... in the end, Kori was right, I had a possession issue which clung to her. She knew it and I had denied it ... up until now. The fact was, she was mine to hold... to kiss... to love, and I can't ask for anything other than that. I was currently in a situation in which I never thought was possible. Kori had always been in my life and yet, now it was different... now it was intense. If not for the anticipation of her next touch... I would be completely at ease right now.

"So..." Gar's voice chimed in, sounding far too suspicious to be taken lightly.

I turned to him,... he sat beside a silent Terra, his body leaned back into the couch in a slouch. His brows moving up and down. I rolled my eyes. "What?"

"I saw you get all upset when Kori didn't ride home with you."

"And?"

"Leave him alone Gar," Vic said.

"Thank you." I replied... both of us knowing perfectly well what Gar was getting at.

"Besides..." Vic said. "... I mean, we all know he's in love with her." He paused smiling at me as I looked to him with a glare. "... its only a matter of time before he gets up enough courage to make his move."

"Yea ,... which better be soon." Gar laughed... leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees now. "I saw Roy trying to get close with her again."

"That's true..." Vic said, he looked to me in a narrowed glance. "... you better just make your move already."

I laughed... masking the anger I felt at their comments. "Nah... Kori knows Roy was a mistake. I've got nothing to worry about."

My eyes widened as Gar and Vic broke into laughter... wait... what did I just say? ... Damn... I can't even remember...

"What so funny?" I asked in curiosity, my mind still wavering over my last words as I tried to fully recall them.

Gar shook his head, trying to calm his laughter. "You practically admitted it. Nice going dude..."

"All that denial for nothing." Vic laughed, sending a fist to Gars in triumph. He shook his head. "We've been trying to get you to admit it for forever."

I could feel myself blush slightly at the thought of Kori... Clearing my throat I shook my head. "You guys don't know what your..." I fell silent as their laughter dominated my words.

"Dude... who would have thought innocent little Kori would be the inner desire of Playboy Dick Grayson." Gar said.

"Right... our little Kori..." Vic shook his head,.. and I could feel my irritation in the subject becoming harder to control.

"Who says I feel anything for her? We're just..."

"...friends...we know."

I glared at Gar. "Its the truth." Ok, obviously not, but still.

"Sure... " Vic continued. "Don't think we haven't noticed that you've avoided most girls all together since you and Kori made up."

"That was ... last night."

"Sure, but that doesn't mean we can't tell when you're drooling over Kori. When she was in school today... I don't think there was even a small moment when your eyes weren't on her."

"Shut up Gar." I said with a sigh, looking down at my phone again... still nothing.

"Well... then... since you don't have feelings for her..." Gar continued. "... why is it you were staring Roy down at lunch when he was trying to get back with her?" I ignored him, my eyes on the tv. "You know... when he was caressing her cheek and putting his hands on her waist... and..." My eyes narrowed, but I tried my best to ignore the situation as it continued around me. "... and it certainly wont bother you that he kissed her..."

My eyes widened ... I looked to Gar now, leaning forward in his direction. "When was this? Did she kiss him back or...?"

Their laughter resumed once more and with a roll of my eyes I sighed, becoming well aware that I had been played a fool in this conversation. I tried to shrug it off... my eyes returning to the screen once more.

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**(Kori Anders' POV)**

"Rachel!" I shouted, her eyes focused on nothing more than the rode in front of her as she sped through the traffic. I inhaled deeply. "Answer me!" She paused, passing a quick glance of annoyance toward me. I rolled my eyes. "Rachel... I have to know whats going on?" She ignored me still... and while I knew she was in deep thought, ... that still didn't change the fact that I was completely consumed in fear at the moment. "Slow down!" I shouted as she sped around another corner, barely escaping that of a bicyclist beside us.

She came to an abrupt halt before her house in a loud screech, stepping from the car in a panicked rush. "How much cash do you have one you?"

I paused lifting my wallet from my purse, my hands shaking feverishly, fighting against my nerves as I followed closely behind her. "I... I have a twenty."

"A twenty?" She paused, her anger thrust in my direction now. I swallowed hard as she stepped to me with wide eyes. "You're a fucking heiress for crying out loud and all you have is a twenty?" She released a growl of frustration as I gave her a nervous nod. "Alright... whatever."

She stepped to her door, unlocking it quickly and leading me to her room. I paused, lingering in the doorway, trying to calm my stressed breath, which didn't ease in the slightest as my gaze observed her. She threw her knees to the floor before her bookcase, tearing the books from their place upon the shelves, casting them to fall to the floor behind her violently.

I hesitated, before speaking... knowing perfectly well it would only add to her frustration. "We... we need to go the police." An amused snort escaped her. Inhaling deeply, I stepped toward her, her hands still focused upon the bookcase. "I'm serious Rachel... if he's..."

My eyes widened as she pulled up on the flat wooden surface of the bottom of the now empty book shelf, revealing a stack of money and a pistol. She shoved everything into a black backpack and moved toward me. "Lets go."

I paused looking to my phone.

**DICK:** _C'mon... answer me.. I want to see you_

"I need to call Dick." I said trying to keep Rachel's frantic pace back to the car.

It was now that she paused, stepping into me with a shove at my left shoulder. "No... are you kidding? Kori, this is you and me... that's all." She rolled her violet eyes, then entered the car with a slam of her door ... me following suit... and we took to the road again. After a few moments of silence, I noticed her look to me and release a sigh "Look,... I'm not trying to ... just... it is what it is ok. We can't put more people in danger. If you invite Dick, he will tell the others and it will be a big mess."

"I just think that the police should be involved in this. I mean you have the proof on your phone... that's enough to..."

"Don't you get it?" She yelled. Her anger returning again. "Kori... this is my father we're talking about. His obvious escape from prison hasn't even had one mention in the news... the paper... anywhere..."

"Which means...?"

"He..." She exhaled heavily, slamming a pale fist down upon the steering wheel. "...he's working with someone. He has help from someone on the outside. He... he's possibly more dangerous now." I remained quiet long enough for her to gather her composure. She exhaled heavily. "You know what this means don't you?"

I swallowed hard, giving her a brief nod. I knew exactly what this meant... this arrival of this moment crossed my mind far too often over the years. "So... where are we going?" I could see from the corner of my eye as she placed her hands over her eyes and released a growl of frustration... the traffic having come to a halt. "Please... just calm down. I cannot think when you are driving so fast... you're giving me such vague responses and..." I squealed as she pulled off the side of the road, increasing her speed, moving illegally off to the edge of the road, bypassing all the traffic. "Are you trying to kill us?"

"On the contrary,... I'm trying to keep us alive." She snapped her gaze in my direction. My eyes widened, as our car zoomed passed a red light, barely escaping the wrath of a semi as it entered the intersection.

I lowered my head into my hands... if we were going to crash... which I was surprised we had been so lucky as not to so far... I didn't want to see it happening. I lifted my feet upon the seat, tucking my knees into my chest now. "Where are we going?"

"Away." She replied coldly.

I kept my eyes shut, occasionally extending a foot or hand against the dashboard to re-balance my position as Rachel sped around corners. I didn't know where we were, let alone where we were going... I was only concerned about Richard. I knew he was completely thrown off by my disappearance in the school parking lot ... and I knew he would try to call me... actually he already had, but I had no choice but to ignore it... I needed to focus on Rachel right now. It wasn't until the car came to an abrupt stop once more, that I lifted my eyes to our surroundings... remaining behind as Rachel stepped from the car in a rush.

I exited the car, entering an old diner behind her. We sat in silence at a long booth for a while before I finally spoke. She sipped at a small cup of tea, her composure seeming far more held together then I could have expected.

"I think..." I swallowed hard. "I think we should talk about whats going on."

"There's nothing to say."

I sighed as her gaze remained upon her phone. I wasn't sure what she was looking at or what she could possibly be doing but her silence was beginning to annoy me now. "Rachel... I'm involved in this too." It was now that her eyes raised to mine. "I ... I need to know what to expect."

"That would involve your assumption that I actually know what I'm doing."

I paused, her statement throwing me off slightly... I hope she knows what she's doing, because I definitely do not.

"Look..." She paused taking a sip of her tea, then lowering her gaze back down to her phone. "I don't have any words that will comfort you. I don't know what we're doing or where we're going." Her frail shoulders lifted in a careless shrug. "I'm making this up as I go."

"But..." I paused in thought for a moment, I could feel my brows burrow in confusion. "... so then, we are fleeing?"

My eyes widened as she snapped her gaze to mine, her teeth gritted. "No! Of course we're not running I just... I need time to think. Which, I'm sure anyone could imagine, is difficult when your constantly nagging at me."

The space around us fell into an awkward silence now. I shrunk back into my seat with a shock of embarrassment as I noticed a few of the random people stared back at me narrow eyed.

We sat there for a long while, before Rachel stood asking if I was done eating. I nodded and followed her, which ... was a lie.. I had lost my appetite the moment I heard the voicemail of her father after school. We drove for a short while, the sun had already set, and I had begun to get a headache from the constant gaze I kept upon the world which blurred passed me out the window to my right. Then, sooner than I could have anticipated, Rachel's car came to a halt. I leaned forward in the passenger seat, my eyes falling upon a shabby motel. I sighed... I knew where we were now... this was a small hotel located on the outskirts of our city. Before my mind could even begin to process the exact situation I was in with Rachel... I felt my passenger door quickly opening. I looked up to find Rachel glaring down at me impatiently.

Within ten minutes she and I were shacked up in a two bed hotel room. She sat upon the far bed to my right in silence. Her eyes were shut, her backpack within her lap. I knew she was trying to process what our next move was but... I couldn't help but want a mere hint at exactly what she was thinking in this moment.

I cleared my throat, stepping toward her. "Why are we staying here ... of all places?"

She spoke, her demeanor remaining unchanged, her eyes still clasped shut and her voice responding in a much calmer tone. "We need to keep a low profile. I'm sorry it's not a Hilton like your used to... but.."

"No I just... I mean... this isn't very far from town. I mean... if he really wanted to find us..."

"He wont... not tonight anyway."

I hesitated, my phone going off again.

**DICK**:_ Please stop ignoring me_

I ignored it and looked back to Rachel slightly on edge now. I was suppose to be with Dick right now... and yet... while I hated that I felt angry with her, especially in the situation, I pressed further. "I still don't understand why we aren't going to the cops about this?" A slight amused laugh escaped her, but beyond that she remained silent. Inhaling deeply I stepped to her, raising my voice. "The cops can help."

It was now that one of her eyes opened, glaring back at me. "The cops can't doing anything Kori. I mean... you heard the message... you know his voice just as well as I do...he's already on the loose... there's nothing that will stop him from finding me." She paused, her chest raising slightly as she then exhaled,... her voice calming now. "Besides... they'd only end up getting themselves killed as a result of me."

"That's their job... to protect us."

She stood now. "Kori... I'm not letting innocent people die because my father is a manic. I'm the only one who can handle him." She stepped to her backpack, retrieving a water bottle and drinking from it. "Just ... get the idea out of your head." She tossed the bottle back upon her bed. "It's not going to happen. We don't need their help."

"Rachel... if he finds us... he'll kill us... both of us. If you were afraid of him killing people then why did you bring me along?"

"Kori... listen to me alright. I brought you along because my father knows your my friend... he would have gone into town and when he realized I was gone... he'd go for you. The safest place for you is right here with me."

I inhaled deeply, shaking my head in frustration as my phone vibrated again.

**DICK:** _If you're upset with me,... at least give me the chance to talk to you_

I stepped to Rachel now. "This isn't funny anymore..." her eyes narrowed at me. "We aren't kids in fear of this day... planning and hoping we could stand up against him. Rachel... this is real now... this... this moment, everything happening around us... I'm scared." I shut my eyes, focusing on nothing more than my breathing... trying to clear my head as I lay back upon the bed. I wasn't sure what Rachel was doing, but I could hear her pacing slightly.

My phone sounded once more.

**DICK:** _Please answer me... I'm beginning to worry_

I paused, beginning to text him back when Rachel spoke. "Shhh... " I ignored her and continued texting. "I can't think with you making so much fucking noise. If you're going to talk to Dick... just call him."

I paused as lifting myself from the bed and making my way tot the hotel door. It was only at the sound of the squeaking doorknob as I placed my hand over it that I jumped at the sound of Rachel yelling at me again. "Are you fucking kidding me?" I looked to her innocently. "Kori... you can't go anywhere." She stepped toward me. "Its me and its you... neither of us ever leaves without the other... it jsut isn't safe."

I sighed. "No... of course... you're right." I released another drawn out sigh, then returned to my phone.

**KORI**:_ I'm not upset with you... it's... complicated._

**DICK:**_ Geeze, Kor... it's already getting late. Where have you been?_

**KORI**: _I'm with Rachel... something came up._

I paused, smiling to myself...t he memory of his touch instantly calming my nerves.

**KORI**: _I miss you_

**DICK:** _I'm going to call you so please answer._

Within seconds my phone rang and I answered it immediately. "Dick?"

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**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

I released a sigh of relief. "Kori,... you had me worried there for a while." I paused, stepping from my place on the couch and making my way into the silence of the kitchen. "So... where are you? I wanna come get you."

My relief washed away as her voice replied... the happiness in her voice nowhere to be found. "I can't... I can't let you. Look... I'm with Rachel and..." She paused, no longer speaking to me but with Rachel. " I know... I wont tell him." I felt myself becoming further frustrated. I hated when she hid things from me. "Look... Dick... somethings happened and Rachel and I are going to be out of town for a few days... and..."

"What? Kori... where are you? I can be there shortly." I paused as a squeal escaped Kori... arising panic in me. "What? ... what is it?"

She didn't reply to me, and I listened closely as Rachel spoke to someone in the background.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Rachel growled. "Roy you son of a bitch. Why would you follow us?"

My anger rose. "Kori why the hell is Roy with you?"

Kori seemed too distracted at the moment, ignoring me completely. Her voice addressing, Rachel now. "Rachel,... calm down. Let me just talk to him and he'll leave."

"Make it quick." Rachel snapped... her voice fading now.

"Kori." I shouted... but there was no reply, her phone cut off.

I looked down to my phone... call ended. That was it... fuck suspicion or jealousy... I was pissed. I pulled the keys to my bike from my pocket then accessed, on my phone, ... the lock on Kori's location. My eyes narrowed... the possibilities as to what they were doing all the way on the outskirts of town was unnerving to me. Before I could head toward the door... my phone vibrated.

**KORI:** _Sry... I'll call you when I can_

**DICK:** _Seriously? Kori... I already know where you are... I'll be there soon_

There was a brief lag in her response, which only infuriated me more.

**KORI**: _Fine... just hurry. I don't know how long Rachel plans on staying here_

I paused... that was easier than I thought... I hesitated.

**DICK**:_ Should I be worried? What is this all about?_

**KORI**: _MR. Roth_

I remained still for a moment, my eyes frozen upon Kori's response. I hesitated, then grabbing my leather jacket from the chair beside me I raced back to the living room.

"We have to go...NOW."

Vic and Gar hesitated for a moment then followed me out into the car.

"Whats going on?" Vic asked me in concern.

I passed him my phone... and as his eyes locked over the text, he looked to Gar. "I think its time your girlfriend probably went home."

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**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

I stepped to the front door, pulling Roy inside the room, then quickly locking the door behind him. "What the hell are you doing here?"

It was now that Kori regained her composure and looked up at Roy, placing her phone in her pocket now. I sighed as she shouted. "Roy?... you scared the shit out of us." Her eyes were wide in fear.

He hesitated in his response so I stepped to him... grabbing the front side of his collar and pulling him toward me as I raised my voice. "Answer the question!"

"Wh-what? What question?" He asked, his eyes focused more on the terrified demeanor of Kori.

I stepped to him shoving him back. "What the hell... are ... you doing here?" He hesitated. "I don't have time for this asshole ... answer the question."

I was burning with rage now, but fell into a state of calm as Kori stepped between Roy and I. She inhaled deeply, looking to me with kind eyes. "I'll take care of this... you just... go... think." She turned to Roy now. "How ... how did you find us?"

He chuckled. "I didn't realize you two were hiding."

I raised my voice in a violent manner now. "You think this is funny? Do I look like I'm laughing?"

I was somewhat comforted in the fear that settled over him now. Clearing her throat Kori placed a hand upon Roy's chest, leading him back to the opposite side of the room. I could still hear them speak even as I returned to my place upon the bed.

"Roy.. you can't ... you can't be here. How did you find us?"

"Look, Kori... I needed to talk to you and..." he shrugged. "I saw you two speed off... and I followed."

"Creep." I mumbled, returning to my place upon the bed, ignoring the glares from each of them in response to my comment.

I could hear their conversation as I lay back upon the bed, my eyes shut.

"Look..." Kori began in a whimper. "... Roy you can't be here... you have to go."

"I just want to talk with you."

"It can wait."

"What better time to talk then when Dick isn't around? Seriously... he has a hold over you that..."

I rubbed a hand against my temple as Roy and Kori spoke... their whining was getting on my nerves. The entire situation around me... Kori, Roy, my father... it was all feeling like too much. I knew this day would eventually come, that I would have to face him again... but right now, I wasn't sure what to do with myself. What was worse... I had to worry about Kori as well... I couldn't let anything happen to her, and I knew my father would do everything he could to make me suffer... even if it meant taking Kori's life. I paused, my phone sounding.

**GAR**: _Dude... are you alright?"_

I sighed, ... of course Kori told Dick what happened. I'm sure they'd all pull up to the hotel within the hour.

**RACHEL**: _Where are you?_

**GAR**: _In the car_

I rolled my eyes... isn't it obvious I'm already aware of the fact that he's headed here? I was in no modd for Gar.

**RACHEL**: _When will you be here?_

There was a lag in his response... surely spent confiding with the others as in how to reply.

**GAR**:_ Soon._

I placed my phone away again... this is what I was hoping to avoid. I growled in frustration as my phone went off again.

**GAR:** _Don't worry Rae,... everything will get better._

My stomach churned... I did not need his sympathy at the moment.

**GAR**: _I'm bringing Terra... hope that's cool_

My blood was boiling now.

**RACHEL**: _Of course you are_

**GAR**: _?_

I sighed tossing my phone beside me on the bed, laying back in silence now. This was going to be a long night.

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	21. Thank You For The Venom

Chapter Twenty-One: **Thank You For The Venom**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

My body was tense at the moment... I knew Dick would arrive soon, and I was equally aware that he knew Roy was with me... how could he not? The fact that I ended the phone call with him so abruptly, I knew, only made things worse. When we weren't 'together' he was over protective... now... I knew if I didn't get Roy to leave, he would be furious.

I turned to him... the look upon his face began to affect me. He looked so upset... and confused with me... and I didn't exactly blame him.

"I really need to understand Kor."

My eyes widened, as he stepped closer to me. I could feel his breath beaming down to me in a sweet wave. I cleared my throat. "I get that this is... strange but... I just ... look Dick is gonna be here soon so you should probably just go. It's hard to believe that you went so out of your way to follow me."

"I had to talk to you."

I swallowed hard. "And now you have..." I hesitated as he remained firm in his position before me. I felt bad but in the end... my heart was crying out for Richard... not Roy. I had to be honest... well, to some extent. "Listen... I'm sort of in the middle of something... with someone else."

His eyes widened, and the hurt upon his expression tore at my composure... had I really become this person? ... a person so... cold?

"Who?"

"I... I don't.."

"Who!" He shouted, his anger rising, leaving me to my relentless nerves which had surfaced now.

"I don't think you know him... and even if you did... you don't deserve this... not from me, not from anyone."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me who." He snapped, stepping closer to me... I had never experienced such anger from him. His tender blue gaze faded into a piercing cold glare.

I lifted a hand to my forehead, shaking my head nervously. "I'm sorry Roy... I can't give you the answers you want. The truth is... I don't have them myself. I don't know exactly where I am in this... thing I have with this..." My eyes glanced to his in a guilty pause. I shrugged. "I ... I don't know what it is. It may not be anything... and ..."

"Is this why you ended things with me? ... because you found someone else?"

I would almost feel bad for him if he was not shouting at me.

"NO... Of course not. I ended things with you because..." I paused, fully taking proper time to analyze the situation. "I wasn't myself,... I was upset and depressed and... Dick and I were fighting..."

"Right... but your not now."

I opened my mouth to reply but fell silent as the lights... everything shut off throughout the room. Fear surged through me at an alarming rate now as the world around us fell silent. Rachel stood immediately, looking to me in hesitation. There was a loud knock upon the door which startled all of us. Rachel pulled the pistol from her backpack and directed it at the door. I covered my eyes as the door knob shook, another loud knock sounding. I paused as Roy placed his arms around my shaking body... my ears focused on nothing more than the sound of Rachel stepping to the door, pulling it open quickly.

"What the hell?" several voices shouted.

My eyes widened in excitement as I noticed Dick standing beside Vic, Gar, and ...Terra? ... Ignoring the others, I stepped past Roy and ran toward Dick. Paying no mind to the glare Dick had daggered into Roy's existence, I stepped to him embracing him. I kept my arms wrapped tightly around him, my eyes shutting in relief as I felt his left arm wrap around me. I lingered in the hug until Gar's voice sounded, causing me to step back in a giggle.

"We're glad to see you too Kor."

I turned to Gar, stepping past Terra and gave him a warm hug... then , doing the same to Vic, I paused, looking to Terra. "It is great to see you again."

She nodded, brushing a blond strand from her face. "Yea... you too."

Chills ran through me as I felt Dick's hand upon my waist, him pulling me into him as Roy stepped toward us. The tension as he spoke was obvious to everyone.

"What are you doing here?"

I looked to Roy nervously. He scratched at his auburn hair, then shrugged. "I'm here for Kori."

A slight, unamused, chuckle escaped Dick. "Yea well..." he paused motioning to the door. "... its best if you just leave."

"Just because she's not my girlfriend at the moment..." Roy began as he stepped toward Dick in a challenging tone... Dick tightening his grip on my waist. "... doesn't mean you can stop me from talking to her. You don't reign over everything she does."

"Is that so." Dick said,... the anger in his voice becoming more apparent to our small group who remained in an awkward, anticipated silence.

"Enough!"

We all came to a halt as Rachel slammed the door shut, locking it quickly. "Everyone just calm down... there's no need to make a scene."

I could see the hesitation on Dick's expression, but,... regardless, we all fell silent, knowing perfectly well Rachel was on edge. It was clear from the mere glare that invaded her eyes in a cold display of anger that it would be best to just listen to her words. I felt bad for her... noticing her brief glance to Terra. Terra and Gar, sure they were together,... but her just being here pissed Rachel off, no matter how much she tried to not let it bother her... I still knew.

Dick situated himself on one of the chairs surrounding a small wooden table in the corner of the room, making sure I took the only other chair, beside him. We all remained quiet... the mood shifting from anger toward Roy to a calmer, more concerned mood for Rachel.

"So... what exactly happened?" Gar said... breaking the silence.

Rachel sighed, crossing her arms in front of her and leaning to the side, against the wall to her left. She paused, passing a glance at Vic who sat beside Terra and Gar on my bed. "I don't want to make a big deal about all this alright."

Dick stood. "Rachel... this is a big deal. WHy haven't you gone to the police?"

Before Rachel could unload her anger on him...I stood, stepping between them. "No one's going to the police about this." I gave Rachel a brief smile, as she looked to me confused. "We are doing this on our own."

"Right." Rachel confirmed. She looked to Dick now. "SO you all wasted your time coming here... Kori and I are leaving tomorrow morning and we wont be back for a while so..."

"If you think I'm letting you drag Kori into this... " Dick said, his voice underlined with anger.

"Don't worry about your precious Kori," Rachel replied, stepping to her black backpack and placing the pistol back into it. "I've got it covered."

Dick looked to me in disappointment. "Did you know about this?" I nodded. "Look... Rachel... we're going to do this together... the way we always have."

"Yea dude... put that thing away." Gar said in disgust.

It was now that Vic stood. "Put it away Rae... we don't need it."

Rachel tossed the gun back into her back pack then turned to me with a sigh. "Fine... everyone stays... but we stay together. No one leaves."

Roy sent me a smile. "Good."

"I don't think so..." Dick said ignoring the sigh of frustration as Rachel crossed her arms before him... her patience in this moment thinning. "Rachel... we don't need him here. He's just in the way."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "He stays... maybe then he can calm Kori down."

"I can keep Kori calm... he..."

"I don't want to hear it." Rachel shouted. "I could leave all of you behind if you like."

"Stop!" I shouted... my eyes watering in frustration. I inhaled deeply. "She's right... everyone stays."

"Kori..."Dick said, his eyes pleading before me.

I shook my head. "Look Roy and Terra know too much already... its better if we all stay together."

It quieted down for a long while... everyone in deep thought. I glanced to Dick... who sat across from me. He looked upset and I knew it wasn't merely because of Roy's presence... it was because I defended Roy. But that wasn't what everyone else was feeling... the silence... it lingered because of Rachel's father... we were all trying to decide what we could do. In a moment of utter fear... we banded together... we were all we had against this unknown enemy... and enemy we obviously knew from the past... but with this much time having gone by... we weren't sure what to expect. We knew, even in our silence, that Rachel's father was dangerous and while the logical option would have been to got o the cops... inside, we all knew it wasn't worth the trouble. IF anyone knew our enemy best,... it was Rachel. And if she was hell-bent on keeping the cops out of this and fleeing ... I was with her... the whole way.

I jumped slightly as my phone rang. I felt the eyes of the entire room fall upon me as I stared down at the caller ID on my phone.

"Who is it?" Dick asked.

I shrugged then lifted the phone to my ear, my voice answering in a nervous shake. "H-hello?"

There it was again... the breathing into the mouth piece... my eyes widened. "Who is this?" I knew who it was... as did everyone else as they observed the fear on my face.

The voice sounded now, a gruff, uneven tone. "You know who it is."

I stood. "What do you want?"

Rachel stepped to me now... taking the phone from my grasp... her voice yelling through the mouthpiece now. "Leave my friends out of this you sick son of a bitch... this is about you and me."

Fear settled over me further as Rachel's eyes widened over me... then she quickly ended the call. She hesitated... then tossing the phone down at the ground she unleashed the contents of her water bottle over it.

"What are you doing?" I shouted as I watched my phone slowly die.

She looked to me with a slight amount of fear in her eyes. "We need to go... he knows where we are."

There was a pause as the mood surrounding us relinquished itself into fear... and a part of me could tell there was more information she had gathered from the phone call... and while I wasn't sure why she felt the need to keep something from me... I knew there was more to the situation. I could tell from the look in her eyes.

"We're going to the Manor." Dick said. We all turned to him hesitantly,... somewhat anticipating Rachel's response. "...look Bruce leaves with Alfred tomorrow morning. We can stay there until all of this blows over."we can't run from this."

Rachel sighed. "We need to get as far from here as possible... the Manor..."

"The Manor is the safest place to be right now." Dick said, stepping to Rachel, his gaze endearing yet confident. He placed a hand upon her shoulder. "We can't run from this... we wont run from him."

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**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

So... I finally managed to bring things to calm. We remained in the Manor now... and to be honest it wasn't all that exciting to be opening my house to Roy of all people, but aside from that... things seemed, ... alright, I guess. Vic and Gar fell into their usual habits...destroying the kitchen with the odd concoctions of what they referred to as food... and while Rachel remained in her cautious... jumpy attitude... I could tell she felt better to be around all of us. My only issue was that of Kori... I had hardly had time with her since we arrived at the Manor last night... Roy didn't exactly help the issue either. He was constantly trying to pull her aside... convince her that he was worth one more chance... and while his arrogance pissed me off... I couldn't help but laugh. Kori may not have been her normal self but I knew it was only a result of her fear of the current situation we all faced. She still... when we were alone to ourselves, had allowed me the freedom to adore her and our secret love affair was... to my relief... not put on hold.

It was morning now, ... I awoke to find Kori missing from the bed beside me... the scent of her sweet presence still lingered beside me. Rubbing at my eyes, I released a yawn, then took tot he hallway. I narrowed my against the rays of the sun in the living room where Rachel sat, her nose in a book, and the curtains which were normally closed, were now wide open. I gave her a brief nod... a gesture she ignored entirely and I was in no mood to protest to the lack of conversation... I was in search of Kori. I stepped from the living room and shook my head with a smile as the ecstatic voices of Vic and Gar sounded. They were in a usual argument... one we were all too familiar with. Why they could never simply accept the difference in each others tastes was beyond me... Gar was vegetarian and Vic wasn't... get over it... they should know by now they will always clash in the department of food.

I smiled as my eyes lay upon Kori... she looked nothing short of amazing this morning. She sat with eager eyes set on Vic and Gar's argument... sending a giggle to the air now and then. I stepped to her... she turned to gaze to me, tightening the messy bun, her red hair remained in.

"Morning." She said with a smile.

"Good morning." I replied. She hesitated as I leaned toward her sending a kiss to her cheek. This whole secrecy thing was beginning to get on my nerves, and I had begun to slowly give in in certain instances... not that she wasn't constantly flashing me wide eyes in warning. I merely smiled through them... knowing perfectly well she would never really be upset with me... she enjoyed it each time we touched just as much as I did... and I took advantage of that fact. I paused looking to a tired eyed Terra. "Whats up?"

She shrugged. "Do they always do this?"

I looked to Vic and Gar. "Yes... yes they do. You get used to it eventually."

It was now that Gar looked to me. "Come on dude, Dick... will you please tell Vic that ..."

He fell silent as I shook my head. "I'm not getting in the middle of your argument... I've learned from past mistakes. You two continue on your own."

I smiled as Kori giggled. "It amazes me you two are capable of recreating the same argument over and over again... you've all heard the insults you have against one another... does it not get old after a while?"

It was now that they both fell silent, sending Kori into a giggle again. I smiled as she turned toward, Terra, her hand placed gently upon my leg beneath the table, as she spoke to her. "So, Terra... are you comfortable living here? I feel horrible that you were drawn into all of this."

Terra shrugged. "Its cool... I don't have much else to do. It's actually nice to be involved in this circle of friendship you all have...its a change for me."

"Well,.. we're glad to have you." I added.

"Yea... I can barely contain my excitement." Rachel added, joining us at the table... Vic and Gar soon joining as well.

I paused, lowering my hand to Kori's beneath the table, my thumb caressing back and forth against her soft skin. "Rachel... how are you feeling today?"

Her looked to me with a sigh, casting her violet hair behind her... "It's whatever... I"m fine."

"I propose we all spend some time together today..." Kori said with a finger raised in the air in excitement. "Perhaps a movie ...?"

I laughed, in response to Rachel's distaste in the matter... regardless... she shrugged.

We all finished breakfast then merged our way into the living room... the decision on a movie proving far more difficult to agree to. Noticing the argument everyone remained in I casually took Kori by the arm... taking her into the hallway.

She looked up to me with a hesitant smile. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, lowering my lips to hers. "I just want time with you... just you and me."

It was not that she giggled, lifting herself on her tiptoes, a hand fixing itself behind my neck as she pulled me into another, drawn out kiss. I was beginning to enjoy myself when the sound of someone clearing their throat beside us in the hallway sounded. I shut my eyes in frustration as a squeal of panic set in over Kori. We both turned to find a displeased Roy.

He looked to me with gritted teeth. "Can I have a word?"

I hesitated, basking in the moment of anger and jealousy he felt for my current situation with Kori... my hand still firm upon her waist. I smiled at him. "Sure..." I paused looking down at Kori,,... she stared back at Roy nervously, and ignoring her discomfort I placed a hand beneath her chin, drawing one last kiss from her. "I'll join you in a moment."

She looked to me with narrowed eyes and I could tell she was disappointed in my behavior at the moment, ... she knew I was just trying to rub in the fact that she was with me and not Roy... but I didn't care. As her frail figure moved passed Roy in the hallway, her head lowered to the floor in guilt... I smiled back at Roy with a shrug. "Is there something you need?"

He shook his head at me. "I should have known you were the one."

"What do you mean?" To be honest I wasn't sure what he was referring to.

"When Kori said she was involved with someone..." He hesitated releasing a chuckle of annoyance. Me... I was actually surprised Kori had mentioned anything about the situation. Roy rubbed at his mouth in thought. "... I should of known it was you. Who else would try to take her from me?"

"She isn't anyone else's to claim... so yea... you should have known." I smiled confidently. "Is that all?"

His gaze hardened against mine... "This isn't over Dick." He stepped toward me, his voice unable to fully mask his anger in the moment... a moment I found was rather enjoyable... at least for me. "We all know your habits... who do you think she'll come running to once you've had your way with her and no longer desire her?"

My smile faded in response to his, my jaw tightened in held back rage. I inhaled deeply, allowing him a moment to enjoy his preconceived ideas and theories, then I stepped closer to him, my posture straightening in a challenging demeanor, my eyes unblinking. "Believe what you will Roy..." I shook my head. "... I'm not like that anymore. I'm with Kori for good."

His laughter made it even harder to hold back my need to smack the smile from his face. He took a step back, his hands at his sides. "Sure... what ever you say..." He paused, his expression turning serious once more. "I'm just giving you fair warning... enjoy her now... I'll just be here ...waiting to pick up the pieces of her shattered heart once you grow tired of her."

I remained in the hallway a long while, merely engulfed in the anger I felt at his audacity to approach me in such a way... and at the same time trying to suppress my emotions of anger inorder to return to Kori without rising suspicion in her.

When I finally joined everyone in the living room again, I sat beside Kori, who immediately looked to me with worried eyes. I gave her a kiss upon the forehead and ignored her concern... my mind still struggling against Roy's words. We were half way through the movie before the sound of someones phone ringing, invaded the air. Vic paused the movie as we all looked to an obviously disturbed Rachel. She stared down at her phone then looked to Kori... her eyes struggling to mask the fear she clearly felt in the moment.

"I should go to her." Kori said as Rachel stood and exited the room.

"No..." Gar said, removing his arm from Terra and stepping to Kori. "...I'll take this one."

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**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

I sat ever so still upon a bar stool within the kitchen now... basking in the silence. The air hung around me in a heavy thick fog. I knew my mind was immune to the forceful attempts I had thrust to bring its screaming to a calm... but I kept at it anyway. I inhaled deeply, my eyes shut ... I could hear conversation in the next room but to be honest I couldn't stand their company at the moment. And like my luck has continued to prove, with the past... when I really was enjoying my silence... someone would interrupt.

"Hey Rae..." Came that squeaky voice I had become so fond of.

I sighed... trying to ignore him. Sure, I had a soft spot for Gar, but with everything going on... all the thoughts swarming my concentration... I didn't need this right now. I peeled an eye open as I felt Gar's presence upon the stool beside me. "I'd rather not do this right now."

I paused, looking to him narrow eyed as his composure slouched into a sense of depression and worry. His large emerald eyes poured concern over me, and while I tried to convince myself it didn't affect me... it did. I inhaled deeply, resuming my mild attempt of meditation.

"Look... I just wanna say that..." he paused as I looked to him again. I figured... what the hell I might as well hear him out... it's not as though if I ignored him he would just go away... we all know him far better than that. I raised a brow in his direction as he diverted his gaze to the ground, in search of his words, his hand raking through that disturbing mess of green hair. "...I wanna make sure you're alright."

"I'm Fine." I replied carelessly.

There was a brief pause... his voice sounding now in an even more nervous state. "I just... I'm worried about you. Your father hasn't stopped harassing you nor has he made a move." I swallowed hard against his concerned gaze. "Rae... what are we doing here? We should have gone to the police before any of this happened."

"We can't Gar... you need to understand that." I was quickly becoming frustrated with his presence. I didn't need a lecture at the moment... I had Kori for that, and my patience was already thinning. I paused as he shifted his body toward mine in a heavy sigh.

"You know... you really aren't as tough as you seem."

"Yes well, ... don't tell anyone else." I replied sarcastically.

"I mean... sure, your fearless,... but... " My arched brow quivered slightly, my attention anticipating his continuation of such a statement. His shoulders lifted in a shrug. "I can see through the walls you force around yourself in order to keep yourself guarded... we all have weaknesses Rae... and sometimes ... sometimes its alright to let them be seen."

I hesitated, my gaze focused upon his... I hated him in this moment... but he was right... I guess. Inhaling deeply I shrugged his words away. "Is there any more wisdom you wish to share with me?" I heard a sigh of annoyance escape him. "What?"

"What are you avoiding?"

I rolled my eyes. "The inevitable I suppose."

"You don't have to be so guarded around me... it's just me."

"I'm not..." I laughed. "This is who I am Gar... you know that."

"You weren't always this dark person... you used to have... hope."

"Hope is for the weak Gar... and its something I can't afford to be exposed to right now." I looked to him with a shrug. "Are we done here?"

He shook his head... "It's ok to be afraid... we all are."

"I told you Gar... I'm not afraid, just... anticipating this end... his end."

"So you're willing to risk everything around you to bring him down?"

"Don't ask something you wont like the answer to. I'm merely being honest with you."

"Are you?"

My eyes narrowed... I could feel the beginning of a headache forming in my mind. "I don't even know how to interpret that? What are you talking about?"

"Rachel,... I know you think you know what you want. The problem is,... events in your life have hardened your heart, made you shun emotion, dilute feelings." He shook his head. "You don't know what will happen should your father finally strike against us... who will get hurt or..." He sighed heavy now. "Must it really take losing something for you to realize what you would truly be sacrificing? "

I hesitated... his words stinging at my thoughts now. "I..."I exhaled heavily. "I can't shake this foundation I've built Gar... not now... not after all this time I spent building this tolerance to him. He has..." I looked to him, angry that the fact that I knew my expression was not of the determination I felt in this moment, but the fear of the situation we found ourselves in. "He's done so much to break me down... I can't let his reign over my life continue. He's hurt the people I care about and he's never going to stop until one of us is dead... its me or him... and I choose him. It has to end."

I paused as his eyes lowered once again... hesitation settling over him. I inhaled deeply, then paused as he spoke. "I think you've focused enough on all the negatives..." I felt myself become still as his eyes focused on mine now. "... maybe... maybe it wouldn't hurt to take a look at the positive sides in all of this... the negatives will still be there tomorrow."

My entire body went numb as I felt his hand position itself upon my knee... he leaned forward, his lips pressing themselves against mine unexpectedly. I felt a strange emotion settle over me but before I could fully digest what was happening Gar stood. I could see the hesitancy in his eyes as he stepped to the door. He paused in the kitchen doorway and looked back at me once more.

"Things will get better. We'll survive this... all of us... together."

I swallowed hard... I can't believe that of all people, its Gar who has left me speechless.

"Take your time Rae, we're all here when your ready to let us in." He said before vanishing into he other room and joining the others.

I remained still... what the fuck just happened?

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(A/N) Just the beginning of the Gar and Rachel's ... I guess you could say beginning. Fun Fact... in the comics, just before BB and Raven share their fist kiss, Gar comforts her by saying "I think you've worried enough about the bad...so why don't we focus on the good for a change?" This quote was really touching to me especially since Raven is so hard to break through to in some instances... totally loved this chapter... I hope you did as well. Please remember to R/R =] ... Also, just posted a new story so, do me a favor and check it out, let me know what you think, its a little different then this one, but still decent =]


	22. We've Got Innocence For Days

Chapter Twenty-Two: **We've Got Innocence For Days**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

The concerned silence that fell over the living room as we all watched Gar leave after Rachel lingered for a long while, only to be disrupted by someones phone. It was quite the scene to see each of us, Vic, Dick, Roy, Terra and myself instantly reach into our pockets, as if hoping for a distraction from the obvious situation at hand. A situation that could have been perceived in a number of ways. Dick, ... I could see he was slightly frustrated with me, and to be honest I didn't exactly blame him. He and I hadn't had the chance to discuss the other night when he entered the hotel room to find me in Roy's arms cowering in fear, and it's not as though I had turned to Roy for comfort in that moment, no, I was entirely consumed by emotions. The moment the loud knock upon the hotel room door sounded my heart had begun to race and I was so sure that this was the end... the end of everything for me. I was convinced the intrusion of the knock signified that Rachel's father had found us. I had hardly noticed Roy's hands upon m as he held me sympathetically while I trembled. The only thing on my mind was the impending doom of seeing Mr. Roth coming toward us, the thought of this shitty hotel room being the last moment of my life stung at my senses. I remember thinking how unready I was to die, and while I'm sure if I explained these thoughts to Rachel she would tell me I was being far too dramatic, that I had allowed fear the advantage in this point, and she would have been correct to say so.

In truth, the moment the knock invaded our conversation, my entire body shut down. I remember my knees buckling, my head falling into my hands, and a squeal of sheer despair taking hold of my very existence. My chest heaving in anxiety, my breath flinching in a battle against logic or even self-awareness. I could feel tears coursing toward the back of my eyes without mercy, the buildup of such, as I was convinced to be the last few second of my life, it was becoming increasingly unbearable... and then, before my body had the chance to give in completely, I saw him. I saw Dick staring back at me, and clearly he was upset to see me with Roy but aside from that an immediate sense of life returned to my veins and I rushed toward him. I held him as tightly as I could, as if his presence alone was the one thing to restore me, so quickly, from the emotions that had previously entombed me. And now,... now we were here, everyone silent, everyone perfectly still.

As I mentioned before I began my rambling, which I am sorry for, it's just that I had to let it out to someone and I knew if I went to Dick about this it would plunge him into a state of constant concern, and I didn't want that right now. So yea, I'll stick with what I have, an inner dialogue which never hesitated in explanation, but moving on.

I paused looking to my phone, it was my mother, and while I wanted to answer it I decided against it. My gaze found its way to Dick, now let me just explain a little further the intensity in this room at the moment. We were all on edge and the truth was it wasn't simply because of the threat of MR. Roth showing up out of the blue, which isn't to say it wasn't on all of our minds, but the truth was that each of us had our own personal struggle at the moment. I told you why Dick was so cross with me, and the glare he had focused on Roy, who sat at the corner of the room next to Terra, merely confirmed it. Alright so, try to keep up as I explain this because to be honest it might be hard to picture...

I stared over at Dick desperately hoping he would turn to me, I was worried that he and I hadn't had the moment to discuss the whole Roy thing and I didn't want things to escalate out of control before he and I had the opportunity to clear the air. BE cause while Dick had done his best to conceal the discomfort in the matter, where Roy was concerned, I knew his jealous behavior earlier in the hallway against Roy sold him out. Dick glared over at Roy, and I could tell he was beating the living day lights out of him in his mind, waiting for the perfect moment to do so. Trust me, I knew Dick, he was so focused on Roy for one purpose, he wanted him to step out of line, say the wrong thing, look to me the wrong way, anything and he would have every right, no, he would feel obligated to leap at his chance to start conflict with him once again. And Roy, Roy had his attention fixed on the movie, a movie no one was paying attention to, and I could have sworn not even he was truly watching. I had the feeling he could sense Dick's eyes burning into the back of his head, but he held composure not moving at all.

Which, of course I feel bad about. I mean, Roy didn't deserve the way I treated him and even as I sat here watching all of this tension ensue, there was nothing I could ever do to fix what I had done. I had used him as a distraction and at the first opportunity I left him, leaving only a few weeks before getting with Dick, but don't get me wrong, it wasn't that I was never attracted to him. In truth when I was with Roy he made me happy, the impending factor being, he wasn't Dick. He could never satisfy me the way Dick did with a mere smile. And I know how horrible this sounds, the explanation alone makes my skin crawl, but I couldn't avoid the reality that I had become that girl that abused a relationship and immediately sparked another. I felt horrible and yet, guilt aside, I was happy to be with Dick. I suppose being with im is really the only reason I had been able to hold my ground against Roy, even as he pleaded. I didn't want to ruin anything with Dick and in turn I acted cold and bitter toward Roy.

My wandering thoughts strike again,... sorry, I'll continue. My eyes switched from Roy to Terra. She had this look on her face, her eyes down upon her lap as her fingers played with the edges of her nails. I didn't know exactly what she was thinking but I could tell she was bothered that Gar had left to comfort Rachel, which is understandable for someone who isn't aware of what a close-knit group we are. In the end, while I was aware that Rachel had feelings for Gar, I knew nothing would happen between them at her hand, she was not one to put herself out on the line like that, not when the subject was emotions and I think you all can agree on that. Now Vic,... he sat beside me, on my right to more accurate, and his brows were burrowed, his hands moving frantically across his phone. I released a sigh. Out of everyone here, he was the one that didn't have the one person he cared most for here. HE was missing Karen, and we all knew it, and apparently, from what I can tell, she was playing hard to get at the moment.

Great, so not that I've elaborated about the awkward air that hung around us,...

Clearing my throat I looked to Dick, placing a hand upon his. "They've been gone a while. Should we go..."

"No, Rachel wants to be alone." He replied coldly, his daggering glare never flinching from Roy.

I hesitated, then glancing around the room once more, to ensure no one had eyes on either of us, I leaned toward Dick, planting a soft kiss upon his lips. It was this that finally caught his attention. As he looked to me, unconcerned if whether or not anyone had noticed this gesture, and I smiled up at him. I could see that I had comforted him, if only in the slightest, his features softening. I almost had him in the exact mood I wanted but his eyes quickly returned to Roy. Inhaling deeply I lifted my phone from my lap.

**KORI:** _Why so serious?_

As his phone sounded, the entire room looked to their phones again, a wave of sighs erupting again before resuming their previous behaviors. I pretended as though my mind was focused on the movie but I could see in the corner of my eye Dick's reaction. He looked down at his phone and I could see his eyes narrow then look to me. A smile crept across my face quickly, just long enough for him to notice then I became serous once again.

I had already silenced my phone so when its background light caught my attention I looked down to it casually.

**DICK_: _**_Being a little obvious don't you think?_

**KORI:**_ If you want me to stop then I will_

**DICK:**_ I didn't say that._

I hesitated in my reply, noticing his glare return to Roy again I knew I had to say something to redirect his thoughts from him. I needed to make sure he knew I was still more interested in him then Roy.

**KORI:** _Can I stay the night with you again?_

Dick's glare instantly faded, and he looked to me with a raised brow, a small giggle escaped my lips, which no one took notice of, assuming it was a reaction to the movie we were suppose to be watching. I brought my bottom lip inward, holding it between my teeth as I smiled to him.

**DICK:** _Is that really a question you expect me to say no to?_

**KORI:** _That all depends... are you upset with me?_

It was when he held back a glance to me that I knew he, whether upset or just uneasy, he felt something against me.

**DICK:** _No_

**KORI:** _... you're lying_

**DICK**: _Am I?_

I rolled my eyes, turning slightly in my seat and leaning my head upon his shoulder.

**KORI**: _You know I can tell_.

**DICK**: _..._

**KORI:** _It amazes me that even via text you can still be so stubborn._

**DICK:** _=]_

I brought my elbow quickly against his rib-cage, nudging him playfully.

**KORI**: _I love you Dick =]_

It was now that I felt his chest raise. I lifted my gaze to his, what I found made me swallow hard. He stared down at me with such desire and hunger in his eyes and I knew he wanted to kiss me. I knew because I felt the same, the exact same amount of passion lingered on my expression as well. Inhaling deeply I looked to the television again.

**DICK:** _I know you do._

**KORI**: _Don't be an asshole..._

As he read my text a muffled laugh escaped him.

**DICK**: _Fine,... I love you too Kori_

**KORI**: _Don't do me any favors._

Another laugh, from both of us now.

**DICK**: _I'd like to... if given the chance..._

My eyes widened... he can be so... Dick. If he wanted to tease me, if he wanted to play games, I'd gladly oblige.

**KORI:** _Promise?_

I noticed him swallow hard, his confidence faltering as I sent him a seductive smile, my hand upon his thigh now.

**DICK:** _I hate you right now_

**KORI**: _Getting a little excited over there? *shrugs* Don't start a game you can't win._

Before he could respond I stood, his gaze, I knew, was on me.

"Where are you off too?" Vic asked curiously.

I smiled. "Its getting a little hot in here... I think I'll take a quick shower." I paused pulling all of my hair to one side of my neck, bending over in front of Dick to grab my purse which lay on the ground beside him. I ignored the chills that surged through me at the touch of his hand running up along my leg. I looked to him with a smile in which only he could see from the angle I positioned myself in. "Tell me what I miss from the movie when I'm gone."

As I sent him one of 'his' signature smirks, his brow arched intensely, his gaze wandering over my flirtatious expression. The moment he gave me a brief nod I stepped out of the living room, leaving Richard alone to his desires to follow me.

**DICK**:_ very nice... This isn't over..._

I smiled to myself.

**KORI**: _Not Even Close ;)_

I paused, jumping slightly as I came face to face with Gar. He seemed to be in a rush, and before I could even apologize for running into him, he stepped passed me reentering the living room. I stood there dumbfounded taken back by his awkward behavior, then a voice came.

"Kori..." Rachel said peeking her head out of the kitchen, a nervous expression staring back at me. "...can I have a word?"

I entered the kitchen with a sympathetic nod. My mind was wavering over the reason both Gar and Rachel were acting slightly out of the norm.

"So... whats the pro..."

"Sit." Rachel demanded. I obliged, my eyes narrowed in concern at her tone. She ran a hand through her hair. "I... " Head shaking, her eyes went wide. "I have no fucking clue what just happened."

I tiled my head to the side. "Are you alright? I saw Gar in the hallway... he seemed upset. What happened? Did he say something you didn't like?"

My confusion set in further as she stood, inhaling deeply as she moved in a frantic pace before me. "That stupid... he... he's such an asshole, you know that right?" I nodded, not one-hundred percent sure I knew who she was referring to. "Why would he do that? I mean... what goes on in that pea brain of his?"

I lifted a finger to interject. "Who?"

She paused, her wide eyes softening unexpectedly. She lowered herself into the chair beside me, burying her head in her hands. "He's such an idiot."

"Gar?" I assumed so, since she seemed slightly calmer in this moment.

She inhaled deeply. "Yea... he... he just... kissed me."

My eyes widened now. "What?"

She lifted her head to look to me now. "Shhhh... announce it to the world why don't you?" She sighed and I felt my body cower in silence.

"Why? Why would he do that? I mean, ... Terra is in the next room."

"Exactly... I don't know how to process this right now. I can't deal with this in my head right now..."

"And ... you are upset with him now? I thought you ..." I fell silent as her brow quivered in warning before me. I cleared my throat, lowering my voice. "I don't understand."

She stood. "Look, ... I had to tell someone... just, don't make a big deal over this. I'm not."

As she left me alone in the kitchen I stared down at my phone... a missed text.

**DICK:** _Hurry back already_

I sighed. I didn't really know what to do with myself. I looked down to my phone to reply but fell silent as another incoming text stared back at me.

**GAR:**_ I need to talk to you_

I sighed, the reason for such a random text being all too predictable in this moment now that I knew what had occurred between the two.

**KORI**: _Of course... when?_

I was beginning to feel overwhelmed now. I realize this must have been a strange and random event for Rachel but I thought she would be pleased that Gar had actually sparked an interest in her, not only that but he had actually initiated it.

**GAR**: _Later... I'll come to you._

**DICK:** _Kor..._

I lowered my fingers to my phone but paused as another text sprang to life.

**MOM:**_ I need to talk to you_

Then another.

**ROY:**_ I have to talk to you... alone._

Replying to my mother now, I sent...

**KORI**:_ Is it important? I'm a little busy at the moment._

**MOM**: _I just heard about Mr. Roth's escape... why didn't you tell me? I was so worried when you didn't answer my phone calls. Where are you?_

Great, this was the last thing I needed, a concerned mother lecture and an ex boyfriend wanting to speak to me alone.

**KORI**: _I"m with Dick at the Manor, everything is fine_

I paused... wait a minute...

**KORI**: _How did you find out about MR. Roth?_

**MOM:** _I'm your mother, of course I found out._

I rolled my eyes. I always hated this response. It was vague and nonetheless irrelevant to how she actually discovered the truth.

**KORI**: _I'm fine, don't be worried. I'll call you later tonight alright?_

**MOM:** _Don't forget. I want you to call me every night until MR. Roth is found so I know you're safe_.

Great,... expectation, just keep tacking on the stress.

**KORI**: _Fine_

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It had been a few hours now. I had long since showered and returned to my place beside Dick. The entire gang sat within the living room still, a movie marathon had unintentionally come to be, the fact that we needed to be around each other in this difficult time and yet the tensions that lingered over us kept us all in an odd silence. Which is why I was more than relieved when Gar stood.

"I'm gonna order a pizza. Anyone want?"

This moment was hilarious for me. It was as if this simple suggestion dissolved any and all issues at the moment, the hunger we each felt dominating. We all stood following Gar into the kitchen. We all sat at the table aside from Vic and Gar who commenced in their usual arguments when deciding on the official order to be made.

I sat between Rachel and Dick, Dick on my left, Rachel obviously the right. Beside her was Roy and beside Dick was Gar's empty seat and following, a silent, on edge Terra. The silence, at least for me, came to a halt as I noticed my phone light up again. My smiling eyes, as they set upon the text immediately went wide.

**ROY:** _Tonight... midnight._

I glanced around the table, deciding that the awkward silence was far too frustrating to deal with any longer. Especially since I was worried Dick might have noticed the text I received which clearly wasn't from him. And while it was obvious that he didn't, I wanted to draw attention away from the hidden conversation with Roy I found myself in. I inhaled deeply. "So, Terra... are you enjoying the Manor?"

As she hesitated, I sent my text.

**KORI**:_ I can't. It wouldn't be right and you know that._

Terra gave me a hesitant nod, her irritation barely kept at bay. "It's nice." Her eyes wandered over the kitchen. "A luxurious lifestyle that I'm not really used to but ... yea, it's fine."

**ROY**: _Dick doesn't have to know_

**KORI**:_ I would know. Besides, I don't keep secrets from Dick_

I cleared my throat hitting send. "So, ... that movie was ..." I paused, my mind losing its train of thought as me phone brightened once more.

"...boring." Rachel added, receiving a laugh from everyone at the table.

"...yea." I added carelessly.

**ROY:** _I'm keeping a secret for you._

I sighed to myself, partially relieved that conversation had sparked between my friends on its own now, giving me time to reply to Roy without my attempt at small talk. The other half of my thoughts were stressing over the fact that Roy was right. Since he caught Dick and I together in the hallway, mouth to mouth, in an open display of affection to one another, he had remained quiet about the subject, drawing no ones attention to this hidden affair.

**KORI**: _No_

**ROY:** _Come on, just an innocent conversation._

**KORI:** _I said no. Dick wouldn't approve of it and neither do I_

"... don't you remember, Kori?" Dick's voice said, making me jump from my thoughts.

I could see him staring at me, his eyes casually noticing as I hid my phone immediately into my pocket, and I was so sure that I had guilt written in my eyes. I cleared my throat, laughing nervously. "I'm sorry... I missed it. What are we talking about?"

My heart sunk as Dick's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Regardless, he drew no attention to his feelings at the moment. "I was just telling Rachel about the time we had in Miami."

I nodded. "Right..." I looked to Rachel, and I knew she could see the guilt and panic over my features as well. "Yea,... it was fun."

She cleared her throat, attempting to aid me in my nervousness. Which, of course I loved her for. She was helping me without even knowing what I seemed hesitant about.

She looked to Terra, . "Are you sure there's nowhere you'd rather be?"

"Rachel!" Gar said angrily as he sat joined the table with Vic now.

Rachel laughed, avoiding Gar's gaze, him equally attempting to avoid hers. The realization to me was humorous in itself, it was so obvious they were both confused about the kiss "I'm just saying... you don't seem to be enjoying your time here."

"Alright, I think that's enough. " Vic laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Pizza's on its way... anyone down for a beer?"

We all nodded like children being asked if they would rather have sweets then vegetables. It sounds corny, but even I knew a little alcohol would bring everyone to a more positive mood... or, or it could make things worse. Either way, I was looking forward to it, anything was better then this moment.

We sat for a good twenty minutes, choppy conversation being tossed back and forth at the table, between several intertwining comments. I was already on my second beer by the time the pizza arrived, and the mood had thankfully perked up now. We all joined in a wave of shared laughter as Vic and Gar raced toward the door at the sound of the doorbell.

A heartwarming sensation settled over me as, while the pizza boxes were released by Vic to the table, everyone scrounging for a slice, that Dick had pulled my chair closer to his. As I settled back in my seat I felt his hand intertwine with mine beneath the table, a slight blush rushing to my cheeks.

"Here," Vic said, tossing a beer to Dick. He released my hand and caught the bottle before it could crush against the table before me. "Ooops, my bad Kor."

I giggled. "Its fine."

I took a bite of pizza, my eyes wandering to Dick by habit. He pulled the lid from the beer then tilted it toward mine. With a smile I lifted mine to his, a small clank following their soft collision. As both of us drank, I jumped on my seat slightly, the presence of his hand caressing my thigh now.

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Dinner went well, better than expected at the rocky start it began with, and it wasn't perfect but it was decent. At least there were no confrontations. The boys had headed into the living room again, along with Terra, leaving Rachel and I together in the kitchen.

"I'm so full." I laughed. The alcohol making its way into my brain in a physical alleviation now.

Rachel nodded, leaning against the counter as I handed her another beer from the fridge, grabbing two others, one for myself and the other for Dick. This moment between Rachel and I brought a smile to my face all on its own, the fact being the alcohol had allowed her relax more now.

"Did you enjoy dinner?"

I hesitated, not at the question, for I would have gladly answered it without a second thought, but no, the way this question was delivered it sounded more like it had a double meaning. I tilted my head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Oh nothing... I just thought it was far to obvious between you and Dick."

My eyes narrowed. "What?"

She smirked, her eyes rolling in annoyance. "What do you mean 'what'?" She chuckled. "I'd be surprised if I was the only one who noticed you two eye-fucking each other."

I choked on my beer, the foam spilling over the brim as I did so. Coughing back my embarrassment, I wiped at my mouth then laughed. "I... Rachel... come on I..." I didn't have a reply ready. I in no way anticipated this from her. I was so certain Dick and I had been casual about it. "He and I are just... friends, you know that, everyone does."

She laughed. "Right... well, what I do know... is how to tell when you're lying, and right now..." She stepped to me, and I forced my composure to remain unflinching. I felt myself inhale deeply, allowing no breath to exit my lungs. Her eyes focused on mine. "... that look,..." she shook her head with a laugh. "... that look alone just sold you out." Before I could object, Rachel turned away from me stepping to the exit, a taunting laugh echoing behind her. "Let me know when you're ready to admit the obvious.".

Taken back, I shrugged off my utter embarrassment and followed behind her, joining everyone in the living room. As I did, I noticed Dick immediately light up, waving me over. Again... we were watching another movie. The difference now?... it was comedy, and the stupidity of the story line coupled with alcohol, and you had a room full of teens laughing. The lights were off and with the blanket of night masking the room in the darkness aside from the ever-changing light protruding from the television screen, Dick had taken begun to take advantage of this.

I could tell he had begun to feel the alcohol now, his decisions becoming more careless. I was comfortable with his sudden movement to resituate his posture which leaned back at an angle into the edge of the couch, pulling me into him. My head rest upon his, which was all fine, this was a position we had been found in innocently by our friends in the past, and it didn't concern me. No, it was his hand which was around my waist which traced small circles against my flesh, inviting itself slowly beneath my shirt. I inhaled deeply, my eyes glancing around the room. No one took notice, or even cared what he was doing, and while I wanted to enjoy it, it was still hard for me to do so. I slapped his hand away, nudging him in the chest in warning. What did he do? ... he laughed, that's all, not taking me seriously and I have to admit while it slightly frustrated me his laugh seemed to make everything better.

It was quiet between him and I until I felt his breath upon my neck. My eyes fluttered shut as he casually pulled my hair out of the way, his lips stopping inches from my ear.

"Tired yet?" He whispered.

The sensation of his teeth as they gently bit at my earlobe rendered me silent. My eyes still shut as his voice sounded softly, and seductively in my ear again. "Give it ten minutes... I'll be in my room."

He immediately stood drawing the attention of everyone. I admired the view of his amazingly toned body as he stretched slightly. "I think I'm headed to bed for the night." After a few, distracted 'yeas' and 'alrights' from everyone he looked to me, that seductive smirk playing at his lips. "See you tomorrow." I smiled, swallowing hard as he left.

Within the ten minutes, which seemed to skid passed in a taunting crawl, I stood. Clearing my throat I set my empty beer upon the coffee table and just as I was about to announce my departure for the evening in a forced groggy voice, Rachel's eyes snapped to mine.

"Let me guess..." She smirked at me suggestively, luckily no one noticed. "... you're off to bed too?"

I nodded, stepping back to the living room entrance. "Yep. Good night everyone."

I rushed down the hallway, coming to an abrupt halt at the sound of Gar's slurred squeak of a voice calling my name. I paused, turning to him. "What's up?"

His eyes held an amount of sadness that instantly put my feelings and desires aside. He kicked a shoe to the floor, his hands in his pockets. "I... I really need your advice on something."

I nodded, accepting his hand as he led me into one of the random rooms in the hallway. As much as I was dying... and I mean dying to see Richard, he would have to wait. Gar led me into the room, releasing my hand only as he locked the door behind us.

"I ... " he scratched at his head, struggling with his words, and I felt even more pity for him because I already knew what he was trying to tell me. "I did something that... that I don't ... I'm just not sure how I feel about it."

I took him by the arm and led him to the small table within the room, sitting beside him. My hand remained on his in a clear display of sympathy. "Go on... tell me Gar."

He exhaled slowly, his large eyes looking to me hesitantly. I smiled back at him, rubbing my thumb sweetly against his hand, his eyes immediately softening, becoming more trusting. "I kissed Rachel alright."

I nodded, trying to hide the smile which bent across my mind. He looked to me, his eyes scanning frantically over my expression, anticipating my reaction in worry. I inhaled deeply, allowing a comforting spark to settle over my eyes. "Why would you kiss her?"

He hesitated. "I ... I don't know... I just, I saw so much pain in her eyes and I just... I wanted to make it go away."

My heart jumped. Immediately taking back any joke I laughed at or bad thought about Gar that ever crossed my mind. In this moment I had never seen him so vulnerable, so... charming? I didn't really understand it myself, but I realized now that I wanted him to be with Rachel more than ever. If anyone deserved her it was him. I was so engulfed in emotion now that I even began stuttering, my mind focused on that charming visual of Richard which played over my mind constantly. "I... Gar,... I mean, you're with Terra. How would that even have been an option in your mind?"

My brows wilted at his conflicted display of emotion. "I don't... look, I mean its obvious I have feelings for Rachel and I realize that she'd never actually go for someone like me but... I couldn't help it. Even as I kissed her I knew Terra was in the next room. I knew that it would be wrong but... " he shrugged so helplessly before me. "... i couldn't help it. It might sound cheesy but,... I was sitting there, across from her and she was pushing me away like she does to everyone and I... I just gave in." He shook his head, lowering his emerald gaze to the floor. "It's those violet eyes... they just,... they send unbearable daggers into me."

I felt myself squeal in excitement, which of course I kept between me and my thoughts,... well, and you, but that's different. Clearing my throat against my attempt at stifling the excitement of the romantic feelings Gar had for Rachel which had revealed themselves, I adjusted my posture, my tone becoming confident now. "Look,... in my experience, if you... if you have feelings for someone, no matter how long it takes you should... just stay true to it."

Fear overcame me as his eyes narrowed. "You realize this is Rachel we're talking about, right? I mean,... she can't even stand to be in the same room with me half the time, let alone have a conversation with me. If you're implying that I should do anything beyond the somehow easily forgiven mistake with Rachel today then... dude... you're crazy."

"Are you scared?"

He laughed. "Terrified. I'm just glad she didn't rip my head off when I kissed her or ... I don't know."

"Well,... if you have no intentions of making your attraction to her known then... why did you need to speak to me about it?"

He sighed. "I just needed to ask you a favor."

I rolled my eyes. I knew what was coming. The whole 'ask her about me' scenario, and let me tell you, ... I was not looking forward to this.

"I need you to see how she's ... dealing with it."

"Gar..."

"Seriously Kori. I need you,... please?" I hesitated as his eyes pleaded before me. "Pleeeease."

"I don't think Rachel would even come to me about something like this. I ..."

"C'mon Kor,... if anyone can get through to her its you."

"I just don't think..."

"Please,... I'm begging you. I need to know if I should run or ..."

"...or?"

He hesitated. "Just do this for me. I wont ask anything of you ever again. I promise."

I swallowed hard, and while I was unsure of how to approach Rachel about this situation, I nodded. "Fine."

He jumped up from his seat in a cheer. "Thanks Kor." He stepped to the door beside me, now. As we entered the hallway he said, "Thanks."

"You already said that." I giggled, pleased with the spark in his positive attitude.

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I entered into a long hallway in a squeal of excitement upon becoming aware of the situation between Gar and Rachel. The thrill of an anticipated relationship blossoming between then was more than I could handle in this moment. Even as Rachel had explained the situation to me I could hardly hold back my leaping emotions of excitement. Excitement which she immediately shut down, but regardless I was still as chipper as when she had told me in the first place, my mind ignoring the negative outlook she took on the scenario. Which I found much easier to ignore since Gar had pulled me aside and asked my opinion in the matter. Gar and I were close but he had not come to me, confided in me, in a such a way as now in quite some time. I couldn't help but think everything was coming together, our group was strengthening, and at a very proper time. With Rachel's father on the loose, my life, up until this moment, began to feel like a horror movie. When alone in this large mansion, I found myself creeping around corners, my mind creating sounds which weren't there, a sinister plot well devised in my demented thoughts. As if, while the Manor was full of my friends, that wouldn't stop Rachel's father from popping out from where ever he was hiding, my mind told me somewhere in the Manor, and yet I knew it wasn't true. The Manor had a state of the art defense system. If someone even stepped too close to the large, towering gates which surrounded the Manor's territorial lines, Dick would know. And yet, even with all of these obvious truths, the comfortable part of my mind which sprung to life around my friends and when I was alone with Dick, all this aside, that didn't exactly mean in the slightest that my thoughts were any darker. I couldn't shake the feeling of the night I was mugged in New York. My attackers face singed in my memory to a severe, far too real sensation that I had never really escaped him and that I would see him again.

It was now, that this memory of New York flashed through my mind, that my attackers face, which remained focused upon my mind, no matter how much I tried to blink it away, ... and suddenly, as I turned into a long corridor of the Manor I saw the face of Rachel's father. Sure, I had not seen this man in, well, what feels like forever, and yet the image of his face as he spat foul, vulgar curses at Rachel the last time we saw him, his face could never be forgotten.

I jumped slightly, directing my hand to the light switch stationed to my left. My eyes were conspiring with my delusional thoughts, casting enemies from the shadows and reasoning illogically with the sounds of my own footing, which convinced myself I was not alone. Quickly flipping the switch, my heart beating fiercely, the face dissolved into obvious paranoia. My chest heaved in a drawn out exhale, my eyes analyzing the object in which I was certain had been a stranger lurking in the dark.

I stepped to the hovering lamp which remained in the center of the hallway and shook my head, giggling at myself. I was on my way to Richard's room, finding that my delusions sparked by nothing other then fear had slowed a usually quick process of reaching his room into a long agonizingly horrifying experience.

A wave of calm settled over me as I finally managed to reach the door to Dick's room. I lifted a closed palm to his door. I inhaled deeply, adjusting at my clothes and hair, hoping my appearance was not too distraught. I swallowed hard as the approaching sound of footsteps from the other side of the door came to a halt, my eyes noticing the turn of the doorknob. My stature perked in enthusiasm as the door swung open slowly, the attractive figure I had grown to love staring back at me.

Burrowed brows relaxed upon his features, an elated smirk surfacing as his eyes scanned over my appearance. I brushed a stray hair from my face, tucking it behind my ear in nervousness now as Dick leaned a forearm into the door frame. His voice reaching out to me in a whispered confidence. "Can't stay away ... can you?"

I rolled my eyes, pushing past him and entering the room. My nerves taking a pause. I had far too much exciting news to tell him. At the sound of him shutting and locking the door behind us I turned to him. My expression, I knew, was more enthusiastic then he could have anticipated. "I have something to tell you." He arched a brow making his way to the edge of the bed while I began pacing before him, my voice forced into a whisper. I knew I probably should not be telling this to Dick, for certain Rachel would not approve, but I could not hold back. "I... I learned of something quite unexpected, and yet entirely worth every amount of excitement I am feeling."

"What is it?"

I paused, taking a deep inhale then sitting beside DIck on the bed. I turned my body toward his as he mirrored the action. "I..." I leaned toward him, as though my whisper could not be quiet enough. "I... Rachel and Gar..." I released a shriek of giggles. "...Gar kissed Rachel."

Dick hesitated. "Uh... but he's with Terra."

I stood again, unable to contain my feelings any longer. I should probably point out that I have absolutely nothing against Terra, in fact she was quite enjoyable to be around. Although, I would be lying if I said I wasn't secretly rooting for Gar and Rachel, which I had been, ever since Rachel told me of her, while undesired, feelings for Gar, but they were feelings none the less.

I continued my pacing once more, my hands moving in imaginary circles as I strived for the proper explanation. "I know, ... and... but Rachel... don't you think this is amazing?" I continued, leaving no leeway for him to respond. "In this frightening time, I think this is exactly what Rachel needs to ease her mind, if only slightly."

"I didn't realize Rachel was even interested in Gar."

"Right, you didn't know...," I walked toward him, surprising him by placing myself upon his lap, my legs straddling his waist. "... but I did. Rachel told me about all of this a while ago and... and now that he has..." I jumped slightly, my hands brought into my chest as I laced my fingers together. "Is this not the best news? I feel as though our circle of friends has never been stronger." I could hear Dick laugh slightly at the sight of my frantic rambling which began to increase in hardly recognizable speed, his hands fixing themselves upon my waist. "I mean, Karen is with Vic... I'm with you... and Rachel and Gar will hopefully get together soon and..." I fell silent as an odd expression settled over his features. I paused. "What?"

"Are you..." he ran a hand nervously through his hair. "... are you referring to yourself as my girlfriend now?" My eyes widened. Did I? Yes, I suppose I had, perhaps not in those exact words, but the assumption was far too clear. The nervousness which developed over me must have been far too apparent for Dick tightened a hand upon my waist, the other hand cradled upon my jaw line. "I'm not saying this isn't what I want. I just... I wasn't really sure if we were on the same page about you and I. It's not as though we've really had all that much time with one another to sort of address our situation." I felt my body become more at ease with his words. He caressed my cheek briefly, his eyes darkening into that gaze of pure desire. "If we're being honest... I'd rather not keep you and I a secret in the first place... but I will if that's still what you want."

"I just..." I inhaled deeply lowering my gaze from his. "I don't want our relationship to be... tainted by the limelight." I swallowed hard against the lump which surfaced in my throat, my palms becoming sweaty. "What if something happened and ... and this didn't work out? I mean, once people know we're together,... the moment our relationship fails it will be complete chaos."

My heart sunk as I stared back at Dick, he seemed offended, as if I was ashamed to announce our intimate shift in our friendship. His gaze flickered to the side in thought. "You speak as though our relationship is inevitably doomed."

"Dick... I want this to work but... I know how you are, and I don't hold it against you.. but..."

"Kori..." his voice overpowered mine in irritation now. "I never entered a committed relationship because it's never what I wanted, ... not because I was incapable of it."

As he said this, I knew he wanted to believe it, but the truth was, it just wasn't entirely correct. I was well aware that he wanted to attempt this commitment with me, and so did I, but that didn't mean I was constantly dealing with my logic which continued to remind me of Dick's ... habits. While I was willing and entirely determined to do everything necessary to make this work between him and I, I couldn't help but fear the reality that this was all new to Dick. He had girlfriends, but this, this was different and I'm certain it would be a struggle. I knew he had 'urges' in which I was not ready to fully relieve and I wasn't sure how long he would be able to go without such an intimate fulfillment. I sighed before him now, my insides crying at his hurt demeanor as a result my words, but I had to be honest with him in how I perceived the situation.

He hesitated before me, a deeply offended look in his eyes. "I realize this is hard for you to comprehend... me, a committed relationship,..." he shrugged. "... but I need you to trust me when I say that this is what I want. What I've wanted for, for a long time. I understand this particular conversation is... difficult to believe but..." his eyes scanned over my features, his hands running sweetly up and down my sides. "I'm ready for this... I'm determined... and I want..." I couldn't fight the smile that came to life as he chuckled slightly. "...I want to the world to know that your mine. I want it to be known that its me who makes you happy... no one else. I don't want to hide you away."

I shut my eyes, allowing the chills of passion settled over me. In the past, this moment, the words he spoke with such confidence, they had previously remained stowed away in the form of a dream. I opened my eyes now, he lingered before me in silence awaiting my response. The fact that this moment was far more amazing than I had ever been able to create in my mind was far too impossible to fathom as it played out before me. Soaking the intense amount of emotion I felt in this moment into the indescribable force that raged between the short distance of us I remained speechless. Nothing aside from the intensity in his eyes, the unbearable pounding from within my chest which was quickly reaching a rate at which I was unsure I could survive without blacking out, and the undying, eternal clarity which settled over my mind, lingering in a sense of euphoria was all that consumed me now. This was it, the sharpest, almost painful, amount of happiness I could ever experience. I hesitated against my scarce breath as he spoke again.

"I meant it when I said I loved you, Kori." His voice cracked in emotion slightly. "There's nothing I would ever do to hurt you." He swallowed hard with pleading eyes. "I want to hear you say it. I want to hear the words spill from your mouth in nothing more than confident passion."

Now,while it may seem that he was being slightly vague in his request, I knew very well what he wanted me to say. As much as I wanted to say it, I wasn't sure how. This feeling which invaded me was hardly sustainable and I knew my words would sound in a shaky, uneven lack of execution, but if he wanted this, then I did as well.

I swallowed hard, focusing on my breath again."... I know I'm ready for this too." A smile settled over me as I bit at my lip. "I love you, Dick."

There was a brief silence which engulfed us now. I observed Dick's every movement as his eyes cast down to the floor once more. It was now that I realized I hadn't the slightest clue as to what thoughts were spinning through his head,... this made me suddenly nervous. Maybe I had not read into his words and expressions as well as I thought I had. Perhaps that isn't what he expected me to say.

I felt myself inhale slowly, deeply, as his eyes raised to mine again. I found that I was holding my breath now, as if preparing for the worst in his next response. Then, before I could even comprehend what was happening, Dick's lips thrust against mine in a heated embrace. His hands cupped the sides of my face, holding me in his grasp firmly as his tongue invaded my mouth in an aggressive manner I had yet to experience with him. I was completely under his control, my body responding to his submissively, drained in desire. His strong hold on me directed me back, a hand moving down from my jaw line to my waist, forcing me back upon his bed in an undisputed amount of dominance. I felt a shutter develop over me as his presence which hovered over mine intensified at the touch of his strong hand as it came to rest upon my thigh. Clasping his fingers around me he lifted my leg at an angle, his waist lowering against mine. My teeth gave way to a whimper against his tongue which continued in its persistent exchange of affection.

The air around me thickened, a mere inhale of breath became something to work for. Dick's body shifted slightly at an angle to his side, positioning his weight on his arm, which fixed itself beside me. His lips parting from mine, a deep chuckle of an inhale taking over him now as his proud yet devoted kiss pursed against my cheek slowly making its way to my jaw line then to my neck in a unrushed display of admiration. I raised my dazed vision to the ceiling in another moan, his demeanor now becoming more focused upon the rest of my body. While still leaned slightly to the side upon his right arm, his left found its way up from my thigh to my hip in a lustful drive, gripping my waist tightly, holding me still as he thrust his body into mine again, a low grunt passing his lips.

The taste of his warm breath lingered over me, his lips descending lower upon my chest, the passion of the moment heightening,... if possible. I tightened my arms around his back, my nails asserting themselves as I lifted my hips slightly against his, welcoming another wave of his waist against mine.

It was only as his hand invited itself beneath my shirt without hesitancy that our shortness of breath became realized, a knock upon the door shattering the fury which devoured us. I swallowed hard, Dick's body jolting slightly at the sound of another persistent knock. He cursed beneath his breath, his once aggressive presence calming in parallel to his strained breath. He looked to me in a gaze of hunger, his eyes moving back and forth between mine, before he bestowed one last kiss to my lips, then raised himself from the bed.

I inhaled deeply, re-positioning my body upon the bed and propping myself up on my elbows. Dick stepped to the door running a hand through his hair before opening the door, finding a wide-eyed Gar.

"What?" Dick asked, his tone sounding aggressively.

Gar had that 'deer in the headlights' look upon his face as his gaze moved passed Dick to mine. "Uhhh... am I interrupting something?" He asked nervously.

It was now that Dick hesitated, sure, he knew I had made myself clear that I was ready to allow our relationship to move past secrecy and yet he looked to me for confirmation and slight confusion of how he should respond.

"Yes..." I began. The emotion that set over me as I jumped up from the bed, noticing a half-smile creep onto Dick's lips. I came to a halt before Gar. "...yes, actually you are interrupting something. Is it important?"

Gar's wide eyes narrowed now, and I knew he was about to question the obvious. He scratched at his brow. "I ... I mean... it's not important. I just wanted to speak with Dick for a moment but..." he fell silent as I leaned into Dick, my head resting upon his shoulder as he tightened an arm around my waist. "Wait... are... are you two finally... I mean... whats happening right now?"

I burst into laughter, then looking to Dick I kissed him upon the lips, confirming Gar's suspicions, then stepped passed him. "You know what, go ahead and have you're talk. I think I'll go see what Rachel's up to."

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I pranced down the hall in a new-found amount of anticipation and excitement. I was finding that I was actually looking forward to being open about me and Dick's relationship. The look on Gar's face was priceless enough. And just as the moment arose in which I assumed it impossible for my mood to be even brighter,... fear struck me. I paused, peeking my head into a door I had almost passed; voices sounding from within.

My eyes widened as the sight of a whispering Terra entered my vision. My ears strained for the sound of her words as they carried themselves in a muffled, mischievous tone.

"I did what you asked,... I got you passed the Manor security, just... let me get Gar out of here and you can do what you need to."

It was now that I came to the realization that she was not alone in the room. A gruff, somewhat familiar voice sounding in response to her.

"Listen here... don't get it in that pretty little head of yours that you have any amount of say in what goes down tonight." There was a brief pause in his frightening tone. My eyes narrowed as Terra's figure fell back against the floor, her hands lifting to her nose in a weak cry. "I said I wanted all of them ... all of them dead!"

I hardly noticed the squeal which escaped me now, only realizing it as the figure of Rachel's father stepped toward the door. My heart immediately began to beat in a frantic pace, the numbness which submerged itself over me left me speechless and immobile. Even as his cold, dark eyes widened in a sick sense of excitement upon noticing my frightened state, I remained frozen. I pleaded for my mind to force my feet into movement, he was coming toward me now, and nothing. My brain remained in a constant state of denial, I could feel his breath upon me now as the door which separated us was shoved open.

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**(A/N) First off... sorry for taking sooo long to update. I just had a birthday so I've been kinda busy lately, but I hope the length of this chapter serves as an epic apology lol, and I'll be updating the next chapter very soon so... please please R/R :]**


	23. Here's To The Fallen

(A/N This chapter may be a little more violent then usual)

Chapter Twenty-Three: **Here's To The Fallen**

**(Kori Anders POV)**

His eyes, those hollowed out burning coals that stared back at me with such rage, such thrill, they consumed the entirety of my vision now. My entire body, every limb, every nerve, which was previously numb to existence suddenly sprung to life in a wave of immense pain. Mr. Roth's calloused hand lunged toward me, gripping at my throat so tightly, air was a memory now. I was only aware of a few things. One, the smile plastered across his gritted yellow teeth, the stench of his sweaty, alcohol scented presence clinging to the small amount of air fighting for recognition in my lungs, which was quickly evaporating, the satisfaction in his eyes as mine began to glaze over, my body convulsing ,... I knew this was the last way I ever wanted to die. His face, his horribly scarred face, it was never this bad. What he had been through to earn him such scars I wasn't sure, but as he thrust me back against a wall the world around me fell into silence. I could hear nothing aside from the train of thought which moved at an epic slow, taunting pace. For those who believe your life flashes before your eyes when you die, if this was it for me, that wasn't happening. My mind was focused on one thing and that was my attacker. My eyes pleading before him, the act of desperation only feeding his hunger.

Two, the other thing I knew, Terra was sitting somewhere in the room. And while I knew I couldn't see her, I knew she could see me. I knew very well, that unless she had fled and I was unaware of it, which to be honest was perfectly capable of being a possibility, in the end she was doing nothing to help me. We had taken her in as friends, perhaps not with as much of a warmed welcoming, but I had truly tried my best to make her feel comfortable. And this was it, this was the moment, my body convulsing in an even more of a riot against Mr. Roth's iron grip which had thrust me back into the room and against the wall behind me. Time, minutes, seconds, I don't know, which is where I come to number Three, I knew I was running out of time. I was running out of breath, the pain which had surged through me relentlessly the entire time was beginning to sharpen. Even as I forced both of my hands against his single death grip upon me, there was no way I was getting out of this on my own. My vision around me, while mostly devoured by Mr. Roth's presence, it slowly began to flicker, ever noise, every grunt of excitement and satisfaction of his actions receded into nothing more than vibrating sounds which suffocated me further. Suddenly, I felt a numbness, a static like emotion slowly begin to devour my body. It began in toes, moving ever so slowly, as if patience was the lesson in all of this, it crept up my body, rising like a wave of death. Maybe it was because my brain was finally beginning to give in, to shut down, but I couldn't feel anything now. My entire body, even my hands as they fell from his grip lifelessly, it was as if they ceased to exist. I felt myself, my weight, begin to fade. My mouth opened once more to inhale, inhale something that wasn't there, that wasn't being received, his grip tightening as my eyelids began to give way. I could see through my eyes that my surroundings were beginning to fog on the edges, the black rim surfacing around my sight began to close in. The last thing I would ever see, it would be him, his greasy smile, his lifeless eyes as they widened now, focusing on mine intently as if taking in every second of my death would be nothing short of the thrill he was looking for, and unfortunately, he would get it.

Then, without reason, to me, he suddenly released me. Every nerve in my body awoke to the throbbing, agonizing pain which surged through my body as it attempted to reboot itself. I fell from his grasp and onto the floor, face down hard, unaware of where he was or why he had spared me, or if being spared is even what you would call it. My vision was worse now, black splotches danced across my blurred vision. My throat, while it struggled immensely to deliver air to my lungs, it still did, maybe in harsh, stressed, painful intakes, but breath none the less. My lungs and mouth coughed violently, as my mind tried to gather as much strength in this moment. I lifted my eyes to my surroundings, my body refusing to lift itself, and as I looked around I couldn't blink enough to clear my vision. My eyes remained clouded in utter confusion, which was frustrating enough in itself for I knew every inch of the Manor, every room, and yet, I could not figure out where I was, nor did I recall the room in which I had stepped into when hearing Terra's frantic voice earlier. Everything was gone, at least for the moment.

I felt my body convulse once more before a loud,excruciating cough stabbed at my throat again. Feeling slowly began to reignite in my body, and while it was painful I attempted to lift myself at the very least into a seated position. It was as if with every movement I was activating the strength of a poison as it invaded my veins, but I fought against it with everything I had. I blinked once more, my eyes noticing Mr. Roth. Then, the sounds around me, everything came rushing back to me like a hurricane. I could feel my panting, my hoarse throat cowering before a vicious, undying cough, and I could hear Terra now. My weak eyes narrowed over a tangled blond mess in the direction of the muffled screams. I could see Terra now, her body as it fought against Mr. Roth's who lingered over her, tossing blows of his violent fists down at her. I opened my mouth to speak, to tell him to leave her alone, because I knew at this point, she was the only reason I was still alive. I was convinced she must have tried to flee from the room as he attacked, which is the only reason for his sudden, mistaken, mercy as he released me. I tried to force the words from my mouth again, her cries vibrating in echoes against my eardrums, but my voice could not be found. I couldn't speak, and while my attempts did not desist, I knew I was getting no where. If either of us had a chance of getting out of here, I would have to make a move.

I coughed once more, forcing my body to glance around the room again. I still had no clue where I was, I was in the Manor, that's all I could tell you. Then there it was... my escape. I could see the doorknob only a few feet from me, a few feet which I take advantage of in everyday life thinking this distance as nothing more than a few steps in any normal sense, but now,... now it might as well have been a mile away. My body shuttered in pain as I turned toward the door. It was a moment that's hard to explain, aside from the missing pain I suppose you could relate it to when your leg falls asleep. Your staring down at your body, your mind focusing with everything to spark the nerves in your body to move, even if just an inch, it would progress, and yet, nothing. I glanced back at Terra once more, her cries had began to fade, and I could see blood forming in a pool beside her. Inhaling deeply, I turned back to the door digging my nails into the wood floor and pulling, scratching, everything I could, the entire moment happening too slow for me, too painfully. And then... then I was there. My throat, and the scarce breathe that suffered within me grew more stressed but I couldn't stop now, I lifted my hand, tears falling from my cheeks, and I gripped the doorknob tightly. I tried to lift myself against its stationary position but all I was capable of was opening the door.

The moment the door was open panic rose in me. I tried to scream, to call for anyone, but my voice would not carry in the high volume I demanded of it at this moment. I could hear Terra fall silent, heavy footsteps coming toward me now. I knew, I knew all my effort would go on wasted, he had caught me now. My mind began to race, it was only a few seconds before his grip would be on me again. Suddenly my eyes lowered to my wrist, the bracelet Dick had given me for my birthday, it was the brightest thing, the only thing with vibrant rays of color emanating from it. I immediately forced it off my wrist tossing it to the center of the hallway, and just as expected, I felt a tight grip on me again. While my scream came off as silent to the world, my insides cried out in agony. Mr. Roth had tightened a fist into my hair pulling me back with immense force, shutting the door behind us.

Now this moment, this moment happened all too quickly. I felt the pain of his fingers laced within my hair pull tightly, and as I looked down at myself I could see that he had lifted me onto my knees. He dragged my body, and don't think me so weak, I tried to fight back, I tried to kick and scream, and claw at him, but I just wasn't all there in this moment. I felt my eyes go wide as his footing came to a halt. I could hear his voice spring to life in criminal words, his tongue lashing a threat at me, but I comprehended none of it. My mind was focused on nothing more than the edge of the desk he had stopped before. Me eyes widened and I tried to scream one last time, but I was too late, he pulled my head back then thrust it forward. I saw the desk coming toward me, or me coming toward it, and a loud, sharp pain invade me before the darkness overshadowed, then, then it was silence, my world fell into a black hole of nothingness.

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**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

Pacing... pacing was all I could do. My mind was beyond meditation at this point, and I don't know if it was because of the strength of what I was feeling or that I didn't want to stop feeling it. I released a growl of frustration into the silent air around me. My feet had wandered violently back and forth this large room for the past twenty minutes, no solution being found for the conflicted... I guess, _emotions_... I felt. It was all becoming more then I wanted to deal with at the moment. Why am I having a mental break down you ask? I'm fairly certain you are aware that Gar was my momentary issue as of now. Why he would kiss me, I don't know, but while I wished I could admit my complete and utter disdain for the action, I couldn't. A part of me was pleased that it happened. If there was one thing to drive my thoughts from my father, it would have been that. But then again, that's where the conflict ignites fully. Why did he do it? Was it merely to occupy my mind during my frustration, or was it because the pathetic little shit that I had fallen for was actually one for requited feelings?

If there's one thing I hate most in this world, it's not knowing something. Not in terms of gossip or, whatever else pathetic means of knowledge I depict pointless, no I hated not knowing the facts. I read books because books were safe. They were never misleading, they were always solid, never-changing. What was meant to be written in a novel remained that way, burned into every page with black ink. And Gar, well, Gar pissed me off even more now because he was not only irritating me when in his presence, no, he was actually now pissing me off in my own thoughts. Thoughts which refused to take a break.

I could hear my breathing increase, then I would focus on it and it would calm, then I would focus back on my thoughts and the entire process would need to be repeated. To say I was struggling internally would be an understatement, I was struggling mentally and physically... I had to get out of here. I had to get some fresh air. I knew that as much as I hated to discuss my feelings, something inside me told me I had to find Kori. Whether I spoke about these relentless passing thoughts or remained silence, I needed her presence.

Inhaling deeply I grabbed my sweater from the bed beside me, quickly shoving it on then pulling my thick blue hood over my head I stepped into the hallway. I took one step then paused. My eyes narrowed as my mind completely drained of all my vicious circling thoughts that had consumed me. I wasn't sure what it was that caused this but it was as if something in the air effected me subconsciously. I could feel my eyes flicker back and forth down the hallway, the heaving of my chest only becoming noticeable to me as I looked down at my shaky hands. My eyes narrowed, what could it be? What could have happened in the few seconds that I had taken to step into the hallway? What could have changed?

I felt the essence of fear rising in me, and yet, I couldn't figure out why. The silence in the hallway shifted itself before me in a demented, decrepit, taunting silence now. I knew there was something happening that my mind was aware of that I had yet to become alert to fully. I kept telling myself that it was nothing, because I knew for a fact that if my father had been here, Dick would have been the first to know. There was no way to gain entry passed the Manor gates without alerting someone.

I lifted my feet slowly stepping down the hallway, the feeling yet to subside. My eyes were wide, I knew it, and I couldn't stop them from gaping out in every direction as if every small sound was a clue, a hint at what I was feeling and why. I tried to focus on my breathing, the corridor never seeming so dark, nor so long, in any of the past times I had ventured down it. The Manor seemed more like an old house of torture at the moment. The high ceilings, the old pieces of decoration that scattered across the narrowing walls, it all seemed wrong. Without removing my eyes from ahead of me, I lifted my phone to my vision, immediately texting Kori about her whereabouts, but there was no reply. This alone set in my fear more, not because the possibility of Kori being asleep didn't cross my mind, it again, was more of the sensation that jabbed at my thoughts pleading for me to be cautious.

Replacing my phone into my pocket I quickly passed a glance behind me. The hallway stretched back into darkness, and while I knew it was the fear in my mind that was casting demons in the shadows, I was becoming more frustrated that I couldn't shake this feeling, and that, if anything, it was growing, heightening. Still undefined, yet still drenched in danger. I jumped slightly as a small crunch sounded beneath my left foot as I brought it down in front of me. I paused, looking up the hallway ahead of me, then back behind me once more, then I knelt, moving my foot. My eyes narrowed as my hand lifted the object in which I had stepped on. My gaze lingered over it as I straightened my posture once more, lifting the gold bracelet toward the light.

"Kori's bracelet?" I whispered to myself.

I knew she never took it off, and it was right in this moment that, that taunting feeling became realized. This emotion had a face now, and a scarring one at that. It was as a whiff of air seeped from beneath the door frame to me left that the realization set over me. My eyes widened. I knew that stench anywhere. It didn't matter how long I had been away from it, no amount of years could strip that toxic, disgusting scent of alcohol, sweaty musk and cigars from my memory. I could feel my breathing increase at a uncontrolable rate, my eyes widening on the door to my left. My shaking hand dropped the bracelet from between my fingers and I had to force myself to turn the doorknob. I knew what I'd find, I knew someone was hurt, I knew this was the moment that had haunted my every waking day, tormented my dreams, altering them into nightmares, all since I was eight years old. I could feel my eyes glaze, and while I knew I wasn't crying I knew on the inside I had never been more terrified. My entire body was shuttering with unbearable shaking, but I had to continue.

As I forced the door open my every fear came to life. There he was, his gruff, demonic figure turning to mine. My breath became hard to contain, I felt as though my lungs were never satisfied, my mind rebuilding the scene of my dead mother all over again. There was blood on his face, pouring from his lips, his knuckles, his eyes gleaming with insane hunger. There was only a second I had to notice Kori lying face down in a pool of blood, whether she was alive or not, I didn't know, but it would be all my fault. I hitched my breath in my throat and immediately tried to race down the hallway back to my room. My weapon, the one thing I demanded everyone let me have without argument, I didn't have it on me. I had told Kori not to worry that I would protect her and there she was lifeless. And as much as I wanted to see if she was alright, as much as I needed to know that she was alive, I couldn't let my father win.

The moment his eyes lay upon me, a sick queasy smile surface from his torn and bloodied lips and he immediately lunged toward me. As I turned back to my room into the hallway, a scream surfaced from my lungs, I had felt his fingers claw at my side, me only escaping by sheer luck. The entire moment, the hallway, the sound of my strained breath, the sound of his eager panting trying to reach me, it all fell around me with a disturbing amount of recollection. I was focusing on the hallway before me, trying to run as fast as I possibly could, the fear of him being right behind me only making this harder, and yet my mind kept showing vibrant flashes of the day he first tried to kill. I was eight, but I remember it, especially when it played so often in my taunting thoughts and nightmares. The anxiety in my chest streamed relentlessly in my chest, my feet and legs never feeling so heavy. I could see my door now but the harder I focused on it, the farther it seemed to flee. I knew it was in my mind and that I would reach it eventually, I just didn't know if I would make it there without being caught in his grasp.

I felt a single tear strip itself from my eyes lid, watering my vision slightly. I inhaled deeply at the sound of his taunting breath as it crept closer to me. I knew if I looked back and saw how close he was to catching me that I would lose precious moment of time to reach the door so I continued. I felt my chest heave as I stopped before my door, my hand reaching out to the door knob. I thrust it open, and in the corner of my eyes I saw him plunge toward me. There was no amount of time for me to react or move out of his path. He had shoved me back into the door, his firm grip finding its way quickly to the back of my neck, shoving me to the floor within the room. As he shut the door behind him, locking it, I immediately lashed my body toward the backpack which remained beneath my bed. I was inches from it, my fingers scraping the side of its fabric before I was being pulled away violently.

I turned my body to face him, my free leg kicking at his chest sending him back into the wall behind him, a loud grunt escaping him. I tried to reach for the gun again, but his presence forced itself upon me once again, this time with a hand fixing his fingers in my hair. A tried to stifle the pain as it settled over me, I didn't want him to have the satisfaction of hearing me cry out in pain at his hand. There was no words in this moment, just anger being exerted in a struggle against each other.

He yanked back at his grip on my hair once more, bringing my face at an angle to him, as he smiled, soaking in my distressed state. Gritting my teeth I brought my elbow back into his face. IT didn't make him release me, but it loosened his grip enough to give me more room for movement. I immediately lifted a leg between his legs. Now this, this I was certain would make him release me, but it didn't. As he knelt now in pain, struggling against my attack, he yanked my head down with him, making me fall flat upon my back.

He stared down at me, his eyes glowing in a never-ending black gaze his scelra bloodshot and gleaming red in anger. His brows raised and a laugh, a demonic laugh, one that would belong to the insane, a laugh of a killer who shows no remorse focused down on my. His eyes widened in excitement. "No matter how much you fight Rae,... you will never get away."

My eyes shut slightly as he pulled back on my hair again. I brought my hands up against his trying to pull myself free of his grasp, sending a foot to his chest now. Finally, while the pain was annoying, I finally managed to free myself of his grasp, his hands still gripped the purple strands of my hair in which he had managed to keep ahold of. Before he could regain his balance I jumped to my feet taking the glass lamp on the corner table beside my bed and I bashed it against his skull, fleeing the room.

I shut the door behind me, another scream released from my lips as I backed into something. I turned to find a confused Vic staring back at me. Without explanation I took his hand, pulling him down the hallway toward the front door. I need a moment to think, a moment to absorb all that was happening. Vic only quickening his pace, falling silent at the sound of my father growling in anger behind the door as he scrambled through the mess I had made around him.

"What the hell Rachel? What happened to you?" Vic shouted as we reached the living room.

My breathing was panicked and all over the place as I tried to explain. "He... the son of a bitch is here?" I swallowed hard. "He fucking found us."

Vic's eyes widened. "How? How did he get it? The Manor is ..."

"The only way he could have gotten in undetected is if someone let him in."

Vic's eyes narrowed. "That just leaves Roy or Terra."

"We need to call Dick."

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**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

"Come on, don't look at me that way," I laughed as Gar's cheesy smile settled over his features.

I rolled my eyes as his squeaky voice sounded now. "I knew you two would finally get together." He paused, sitting back upon my bed. "So... whats it like? ... ya know, kissing your best friend?"

"I don't have time for this."

"Ahh, so I really did interrupt something important." His eyes widened, his brows wiggling suggestively.

"Don't talk about Kori like that. When it comes to Kori and I... I don't even want you thinking about us holding hands, just the thought of you thinking of us it... its strange." I sighed running a hand through my hair, trying to calm myself from the heated moment with Kori moments ago. I was completely frustrated with Gar at the moment. It seemed as though he always had a way of ruining certain intimate situations, not just with Kori, but in the past with other girls as well. It was as if he had this internal alarm clock that picked up on certain situations.

"Are you happy?" He asked.

I paused, lowering my gaze to the floor, a smile creeping across my face. Yes, yes I was. Kori was the best thing that had happened to me since the day I first met her, and now, she was the surprise in my life that I hadn't excepted but would cherish everyday. I nodded, a slight blush gracing my cheeks. The fact alone that Kori was willing to be open about our relationship and allow it to no longer be a secret, I was even more happy. "Yea, man..." I looked to him now. Shaking my head at his cheesy smile, and laughing. "I don't think I've ever been this happy."

His smile stretched even further across his cheeks, grinning ear to ear. "Glad to hear it dude."

I cleared my throat, now. I didn't mind mentioning Kori, but I was in no way willing to go into detail about her relationship with me to Gar of all people. I hesitated. "Wait, didn't you come here to tell me something?"

To be honest, because of Kori I was certain I knew this had to do with Rachel, but I played oblivious nonetheless. He nodded, his once enthusiastic smile fading, replaced by a drooping frown, his posture receding into a slouch. "Yea, dude, I... I don't know what to really do right now and since your good with women I was hoping... I just..."

"What happened?" I asked. Sure I felt bad that my voice came off more as impatient with him in his time of need, but I was far more irritated that he had interrupted Kori and I for this conversation which probably could have waited until morning.

"I kinda, sorta... might have kissed Rachel."

I laughed, sounding far less sympathetic than I naturally intended. The fact being that while I knew this was what he was going to tell me, when it actually came from him it sounded absurd. I shook my head. "No... I don't mean to laugh I just... I'm surprised she let you live."

Gar sighed, laying back upon the bed. "Tell me about it. I don't know what happened dude I just... did it."

"Do you regret it?"

He hesitated, his brows burrowing. "No... I don't think I so."

"So whats the problem?"

"Dude, Terra, duh." He replied in an annoyed tone as he propped himself up on his elbows. "Oh, right also lets not forget that this is Rachel. I should be counting my lucky stars that she didn't kill me for kissing her in the first place. I don't actually expect her to consider letting me do it again or..."

As he fell into silence I saw a small light eliminate from behind him. My eyes narrowed. "What is that?"

Gar hesitated, trying to understand what I was motioning to. He turned on his side, then lifted a phone into his grasp. "Uh your phone."

I stepped toward him, knowing perfectly well that my phone was in my pocket. "It must have fallen out of Kori's pocket when..." I fell silent as my eyes skimmed over the text. "Look who it's from." I said giving Gar a taunting smile. "Rachel... your dream girl."

**RACHEL:** _Where are you?_

Gar rolled his eyes, and yet, as he began a rant on how childish I was for teasing him, my mind wandered back to the phone in confusion. When Kori left she said she was going to find Rachel, so why was Rachel texting about where Kori was? My mind paused for a moment then as I went back to the phone's inbox my anger immediately rose. At some point today she had texted Roy. It wasn't my place to read them but my jealousy got the best of me once again and I did. I began pacing, unaware of Gar's ranting beside me. My eyes focused on the last text from Roy. It was an unread text but I checked it just the same.

**ROY:** _Meet me in the back by the pool at midnight._

I gritted my teeth, the realization that not only was Kori speaking with Roy and hiding it from me, but that this, by the pool, was certainly where she was, Rachel's text merely confirming my suspicions. Before I could devise a plan within my head as to how I would deal with Roy, a loud bang sounded within the Manor. Gar and I both jumped slightly.

He turned to me wide-eyed. "What was that?"

I paused listening once more... nothing. I stepped to the door, shoving it open, me and Gar stepping out into its dark silence. My eyes narrowed over the long hallway before I paused looking back to Gar. "Look, you go find Rachel,.."

"What?' He said nervously. "I can't go see her after what I've done."

I shoved him back against the wall. "I'm asking you to do this for me."

As he left hesitantly, I began making my way to the pool. It took me a brief moment but as I stepped out into the cool night, I checked Kori's phone once more, ... 11:59 pm

I gritted my teeth as Roy's voice asserted itself into the cold night.

"Kori?"

His eyes narrowed as I stepped into the light. A brief silence following us as we glared back at each other. "I told you to stay away from her. Your lucky I'm even letting you stay in my house."

Roy rolled his eyes, looking to the pool now. "I can't believe she actually went to you about this."

"She didn't I discovered it on my own. The point is that you shouldn't be trying to sneak around with her in the first place."

Roy laughed now. "Kind of hypocritical don't you think?" My jaw tightened in anger. "I mean, you... the whole time I was with her you had your claws so far deep into her skin she couldn't call me without checking with you first."

"Doesn't matter. I don't have to justify myself to you." I turned to leave now. "I'll only ask once more Roy, stay away from her before things get ugly."

"Have you slept with her yet?"

The arrogance in his voice brought me to an abrupt halt. I could feel my heart beat quicken in a uncontrolable rage. I turned back to him. "Don't for one second try to get me to believe she would ever sleep with you."

"Don't pretend to believe it's not a possibility. Did you ask her?"

"I don't have to. Kori wouldn't do that. You two weren't together long enough in the first place."

He laughed, making my patience for him even thinner. "Well maybe she learned from the best teacher she had... you."

I could feel my feet move quickly toward him, I had my fist clenched ready to attack him, but came to a pause as my phone rang. I glared at Roy for a brief moment before answering.

"What Rachel?"

"Dick... its bad, it's so bad,... he's here."

My eyes narrowed. "That's impossible. The only way he'd..."

"Is if someone let him in. Think about it."

I paused my glare returning to Roy again. I ignored him for a moment speaking to Rachel. "Where are you? We all need to be together on this. When you hang up with me call the police."

I hung up the phone and turned to Roy. "Did you let that son of a bitch past security?"

"What are you talking about?"

I lunged at him gripping my hand upon his throat and pushing him back against the metal fence which surrounded the pool. "Answer the fucking question."

"No... no... I don't... I don't know what your even talking about."

I swallowed hard. I wanted nothing more than to bash his face in but right now, my friends needed me, we needed each other if we were going to survive this. Releasing Roy I stepped toward the house, him following close behind. I spoke in a whisper. "Alright, Rachel's father is apparently in the house. We need to make our way to the others without being seen."

It took us a good ten minutes to reach the living room as a result of me taking an alternate route, but when we finally got there a sigh of relief washed over me. "Is everyone here? Anybody injured?" I paused noticing a small trail of blood from the side of Rachel's head. I lifted my hand to check the severity of her wound but came to a pause as she shoved my hand out of the way, her expression guilty now.

"I couldn't get to her."

My eyes narrowed. "Who?" My eyes immediately scanned over the dark room before us. Gar, Roy, Vic, Rachel... My eyes widened. "Where's Kori? Does anyone know where she is?" I could feel my heart begin to pound rapidly now. "Where is she?"

"Dick, I... I just... I couldn't..." Rachel began.

I stepped to her shoving her back, harder than I probably should have, but my anger and fear was in full flare now. "Dammit Rachel where?"

"Calm down Dick." Gar pleased.

I shot him a daggered glare then fixed my gaze back to Rachel unblinking. "Where?"

She swallowed hard. "I just... I saw..."

"Cut the shit Rachel. Just tell me where."

"Lower your voice Dick or we're all done for." Vic added.

I ignored him, and focused solely on Rachel as she continued. "I don't remember which room. I just... " she inhaled deeply, fear rising in me at the fear in her eyes. "She was face down... I could see a pool of blood but..."

MY chest was heaving now, my fists tightening. "She's alive though right? I mean, she's a little banged up but ... but she's alive... right? ... RIGHT?"

Rachel shook her head. "I don't know. I ran.."

"You ran?"

"He was coming after me Dick. It was either..."

"Fuck Rachel!" I turned to the wall beside me, resting my forehead against it. I tried to clear my mind, come up with a plan, but my mind was racing, too crowded with the fear of Kori actually being gone. I released my fist against the wall in a strike of anger. "Mother Fucker!"

"Dick, calm down, Kori will be fine. I just.."

I turned to Rachel now, wide-eyed. "You fucking ran? you just left her there? How.. how could you do that? ... to Kori of all people?"

The argument fell quiet as loud sirens began to sound from outside the Manor. The flashing lights spiraling out of control as they sped into the Manor gates, cops rushing the scene quickly. Before any of us could react cops were banging on the front door. I turned to Gar and Vic. "Get everybody out of here."

"Dick..?"

"I'm not leaving without Kori." I said, leaving them behind and taking to the hallway in a rush. I jumped slightly as Rachel came running toward me. "Go back."

"This is my fault Dick. If you think I wanted any of this then your fucking crazy. I care about Kori just as much as you do."

I made her fall silent as I lifted a finger to my lips. "Do you hear that?"

Rachel nodded.

"Where was the last place you saw him?"

"My room."

"Where's the gun?"

She hesitated. "My room."

I swallowed hard then stepped toward her door. I wasn't sure if the brief noise I had heard earlier had come from Rachel's room or not but we entered either way. We entered the room immediately finding it empty. I watched the door trying to rush Rachel as she leapt over the bed and pulled a backpack from beneath the bed.

"Hurry." I whispered.

I paused, giving her a double take as her eyes widened, her hands no longer moving. "Its gone."

A loud cry sounded from down the hallway causing Rachel and I to immediately race down the hallway again. "Which room... which room Rachel?"

She hesitated, then paused lifting a bracelet, the bracelet I had given to Kori from the floor, then pointing to her left. I shoved the door open hearing a cry escape from the corner of the room. I immediately flipped the light switch on, disappointed when I found Terra to be the cause of the cry. I turned back to Rachel. "I thought you said it was this room?"

She nodded her head, pointing to the large pool of blood beside me at my feet. "This is the room, Kori was right there."

"Are you sure?"

Her brow raised in annoyance. "I know what I saw. That's Kori's blood."

A fragment of hope entered my mind, she was still alive, or at least the possibility of her being alive was now... my mind fell silent as a gunshot echoed throughout the Manor.

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**(Kori Ander's POV)**

Bitter... the bitter, thick taste of blood was the first thing to sting at my senses. The second was the unbearable pain that revived itself from my body. Third, Terra's small whimpers which had begun to sound in a loud ringing in my head again. I could tell from the silence of the room aside from Terra and myself that we were alone. I swallowed hard against my dry, sore throat, cringing at the taste of my own blood, forcing my eyes open. My mind, while still in severe pain, seemed to be slightly clearer. Clearer in the sense that I now knew where I was, which room, which hallway, everything. Inhaling deeply, I cringed gritting my teeth forcing my hands down flat upon the ground before me. As I pulled myself up from the wooden floor, my head immediately began to pound in undying waves of pain, my thoughts were beginning to cloud again, and my stomach fell pray to relentless dizziness and nausea.

Regardless of the pain, this time around I was capable of movement. That's not to say it was back to my original amount of ease but I could fight through the pain. I crawled toward Terra, her frightened eyes narrowing over mine as her entire body flinched before me.

I cleared my throat, placing a hand upon her knee. My voice raspy from my injuries, but capable of forming recognizable words nonetheless. "Its going... to be alright." I coughed again, my hand removing itself from her knee and clasping itself upon my throat. I placed pressure over it to try and ease the pain, but it ease was no use. "I'll get help."

Her eyes moved frantically over mine, her condition no better than mine. "Don't.." she paused coughing up a large amount of blood. "Don't leave me here."

My chest heaved. "I... I can't save us both without getting help." I took her hand into mind holding it tightly. "I promise you will make it out alive."

I had no choice but to ignore her cries and pleading as I made my way into the hallway. It was empty, there was no one there, no sounds, nothing. Bracing a hand upon the wall, I forced myself down the hallway, each step agonizing, each breath drawing blood from my lungs, and each following cough, drawing more attention to anyone close enough to hear me. I was scared but for some reason the moment around me made me go numb. I felt as though I was in a dream, the colors of the night and the walls around me moved slowly and unevenly. The black spots blinked and danced across my vision again, the spinning in my head becoming harder to fight against. I ignored the urge to puke,... this was something that with each step I found more difficult. I braced both of my hands against the wall now pressing my body into it as I continued, slowly, down the hallway.

When I finally reached one of the doors my relief became realized once more. I was standing in front of Rachel's door, the gun, I was sure would still be here. That is if no one had moved it. In the end I wasn't even sure who knew about what was going on in this house. I couldn't call for help without announcing my position to Mr. Roth recklessly. Entering the room, my body gave in, falling to the floor, the noise of the collision not startling me as much as the pain from the broken glass which pierced through my skin. I looked down in a whimper at the broken lamp which remained to my right. I shoved myself away from the glass trying to quiet my cries as I began to quickly remove the shards of glass within my palms, forearms and calves from the fall. It took much longer to free myself from the glass as a result of my shaking fingers, the pain I felt growing, becoming worse with every second. I could hear a gruff voice echo down one of the hallway now. The sound immediately raising the adrenalin within my chest.

I ignored the pain and crawled my way to Rachel's bed. My eyes scanned over her room quickly, the darkness not helping. The voice in the hallway growing louder now.. his words becoming clearer.

"Rachel..."

I lowered my head into my hands and allowed myself a moment to weep. There was no way I was escaping this without the gun and it clear Rachel had already taken it. The thought of whether or not she was even alive stabbed at my mind now. This thought, this tragic, horrific possibility suddenly arose a fire within me. By the looks of her room, her father had gotten to her, probably killed her in the night, in the middle of her sleep. I kicked my foot out in front of me in a fit of despair, pausing as it collided against a hard object. I lifted my eyes from my hands, narrowing them as I noticed a dark object beneath her bed.

"Come on 'Daddies little Raven' ... Come out come out wherever you are Rachel."

My heart began to beat even faster now as I realized the object to be that of Rachel's backpack. My body shook even faster as I leaned forward, diving my hands into the backpack. I inhaled deeply as my hands met the cool touch of the pistol. I pulled it into my chest, immediately checking for bullets. It wasn't loaded. My mind almost broke down, but I couldn't give up not now, no matter how much closer Mr. Roth's voice became.

"Tick... Tock... Darling..."

I released a sigh of relief as two small bullets could be felt at the bottom of the backpack. My hands panicked, moving quickly to grasp them, yet they managed to slip through my fingers continuously, until I managed to force them against the side of the fabric, my nails digging into the side as I pulled them free. I had no time now. The voice was far too close for me to remain where I was. Gripping the bullets tightly within my sweaty palms, I took to my feet. As I struggled down the hallway now, trying to get back to Terra, I tried to focus on loading the gun, my fingers still being uncooperative with me.

I paused before Terra's room, my eyes widening as those dark eyes ignited, glowing in the dark now.

"We were just getting to the fun part. "Mr. Roth said, stepping toward me slowly. He tilted his head to the side in an unnatural manner, his smile creeping across his lips in a smile. "I was saving you Kori." I backed away trying to force the bullets into place, yet not wanting to remove my eyes, or underestimate Mr. Roth as he stepped toward me casually. He extended a hand to me. "I was saving you for last." I quickened my pace back down the hallway, my fingers moving frantically, my mind still spinning, and my feet ready to give in any second. A small laugh escaped him. "I was going to make you die with Rachel. I know how close you two are."

We were further down the hallway when I finally succeeded in loading the gun. I inhaled deeply, directing it at him. He still showed no fear, both of our feet moving, mine backward, his forward calmly, as if he were not afraid of death.

"It's never going to be over Kori... can't you see that?"

I was so consumed by fear now that as I lifted a thumb to the hammer, pulling it down then inhaling deeply, I fixed my finger over the trigger. "Don't do this... just stop."

His eyes widened, the look on his face as the light within the hallway lamp crossed over his feature, I was certain would haunt me. He shook his head, brows burrowed. "I told you Kori... that's just not the way this works."

Then within a split second the hunger behind his eyes deepened and he lunged at me. I pulled on the trigger, my eyes shut. There was a brief silence then I opened my eyes to find Mr. Roth laying face down in front of me. I remained perfectly still... in shock of everything until footsteps headed toward me. I saw Dick and Rachel pause staring back at me wide-eyed.

"Put the gun down Kori." Rachel demanded. "Its over."

I remained unmoved, until Dick slowly made his way to me, taking the gun from my hand and pulling me into his arms. "Are you aright?"

I couldn't bring myself to cry in this moment, I mean, there were tears rushing down my cheeks but I was not weeping. I just buried my face into Dick's chest, his strong grip instantly comforting me. I felt him lift me into his arms bridal style, then pausing before Rachel, he handed her the gun.

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I sat now, forty-five minutes after shooting Mr. Roth. My eyes wandered over all of my friends, which gather around me in my hospital bed. Dick sat beside me on the bed, Vic and Gar sitting within the two chairs in front of the bed and Rachel in a nervous stance against the door frame. We all remained silent in this moment, each of us passing glances to one another, showing an unspeakable amount of love for each other, and how grateful we were that none of us were fatally harmed.

I inhaled deeply as Dick tightened his grip upon my hand, kissing me gently upon the forehead. I looked to Gar, he was hurt, not just because of what happened, and the fear that consumed all of us in this night, but because it was Terra who had allowed it to happen. He felt betrayed. I looked to Vic now, he was in shock still, his gaze fixed upon the floor at the moment, and then lastly, I paused against Rachel's hesitant gaze. I knew she felt guilty for what happened but in the end it really wasn't her fault. It was no one fault but Mr. Roth, and while the gunshot wound I had given him didn't kill him, he was inches from death. We were all waiting for it to be confirmed within a few days, the fact that he still fought against death sickened all of us, but we were together.

Clearing my throat I looked to Rachel, her eyes immediately looking to mine. "I love you guys."

My eyes wandered over all of them again, each of them standing and surrounding me in one prolonged, comforting hug. We knew the fight against Mr. Roth wouldn't be over until he was dead, but we would all still be here together, when the time came... just like we always have been.

As we pulled out of the hug, they all returned to their positions as before, a comforting smiled gracing each of their expressions. The room had fallen silent once more until Gar finally spoke.

"You know... maybe this isn't the best time..." we all turned to him narrowed eyed and unsure of what he was going to say, He scratched nervously at his green hair then looked back and forth between Vic and Rachel. "... but you two owe me two hundred bucks... each."

Dick and I both looked to each other.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well... this was my year..."

"Your year for what?"

Gar hesitated as even Vic and Rachel looked confused in his words. "This was the year I said Dick would finally start dating Kori."

There was a brief silence as the school years bets between the three flooded our memory. Gar hesitated in silence, then all of us burst into laughter... only Gar... only Gar...

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(A/N) WOW, alright, so as much as I loved this chapter, I really really hope you all did too. I realize its a little darker chapter and perhaps a little longer, but I really enjoyed writing it. So please remember to R/R =]


	24. Desolation Row

Chapter Twenty-Four: **Desolation Row**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

Expectation... was that really the only difference between two friends becoming something more? Before this, before all of this, I was used to being let down in certain instances and had even come to expect it, but now, now things were different... weren't they? I mean taking into consideration everything he and I have been through these past years, and I'll even go as far as to ignore the recent week he and I have had together on a more intimate level, but regardless shouldn't he be here? Shouldn't the events of that night be burned in all our memories? ... and if so, as I said before, where is he? Why isn't he at my side? Look, if I'm coming off as angry, well that's because I am, and whats worse I'm not even entirely sure that I have a right to be.

I have been in this damn hospital bed for two days and aside from my friends visiting me on the night I was admitted here, I was alone. No visitors, no calls, nothing, just absolute silence. I'm not really sure what was going on in any of my friends heads at the moment, whether they were still coping with everything that had happened that night but it didn't bother me so much that they were too busy to visit, no, what bothered me was that Richard remained silent. I still didn't have my phone as a result of losing it sometime the night I was attacked but I was somewhat glad I didn't have it on account that the medication I was taking made me an insufferable, irritable... well, bitch. I knew it, my nurses and doctors tiptoed around the fact, and my friends, they remained unaware based on their absence. Which, of course, I didn't expect them to visit every second they could spare time and I was honestly feeling much better but that didn't mean I was immune to wanting common courtesy. In the past whenever someone from our group was hospitalized we all rallied around them making every effort possible to make their stay more comfortable, and while I was convinced I wouldn't be the best company as a result of my irritability but still, a simple call wouldn't hurt.

Now, let me just pause to draw attention to the fact that there was probably a very reasonable excuse for their absence but whatever, I'm irritated, let me vent. The truth was, lately, considering the spare time I found myself submerged in while at my stay in the hospital for evaluation, I've found myself considering the steps it took to get to this point in my life.

I awoke this morning in the same dazed, fuzzy brained demeanor and as the nurse came in to check my morning vitals, or what ever it is that she does, something snapped within me. I didn't want to be here anymore. The obnoxious consistency of the white walls that surrounded me in this room was making me want to pull my own hair out, again, it's probably the medication but this al felt overwhelming for me because the truth was, I could bitch and complain and take all this medication they were pumping through my veins at home, in my own comfort.

AS the nurse stepped to me my eyes narrowed and I pulled the I.V. from my left arm and discarded it to the floor.

"What... what are you doing?" The nurse asked, turning to me wide-eyed.

I sighed to myself, my movements very shaky and stressed as I pulled my hair into a ponytail. "I can't be here another minute." She looked to me in a small amount of fear at what I might do as I reached into the suitcase Dick had left me the 'one' night he had been here. As I pulled fresh clothes from within the suitcase I noticed my voice raise in unnecessary and undeserved display of annoyance. "I've asked you all repeatedly to tone down the dosage of that shit you're giving me, its making me sick." I stopped, turning to her. "I told you that, and now,... now I just want to go home."

I could hear her following me as I disappeared into the small bathroom on the other side of the room. "Ms. Anders your doctor highly suggests that you remain under observation for a few more days."

I laughed to myself, the mere attempt at her persuasion to tempt me into staying was infuriating to me. I came to a pause as I caught my reflection in the mirror. There's no easy way around it, I look horrible, worse than horrible, I look ill which was in my opinion the worst. I felt horrible and I looked it, what a glamorous combination. My eyes were puffy and red, my hair unbrushed and even when pulled back looked like a tangled mess of red frizz.

Releasing a heavy sigh I reentered the hospital room shoving my old clothes into the suitcase and zipping it up with intense anger. Again, I realize this seems a bit much but I honestly could not control the way I was feeling right now. I knew the nurse was only doing her job, only looking out for me, but all that mattered to me was that right now she was pissing me off and I needed to get out of here. I needed fresh air, I needed to be alone which is ironic since I'm babbling about my time spent alone in this hospital bed but it would be different, I was certain it would. The entire time here I had trouble sleeping, constantly waking from vivid nightmares, everything seeming so real, so morbid as if I never really survived MR. Roth, as if he was still here, and in reality he was. He may be tied up in a hospital bed struggling for life but that didn't matter, he had succeeded in one vital attempt to destroy me. He was alive as ever in my mind and I think he always will be, this fact alone shook my composure constantly. The nightmares that haunt my dreams conjure an entirely separate, more tragic recollection of how things had played out. I often wake in the middle of the night at a loss for breath, as if I could feel Mr. Roth's grip upon me once again. He may not have succeeded in ending my life, but I was certain he would surely be pleased to know that he had forever earned himself an unflinching spark in my mind. A spark that was not vibrant and full of love, no, it was a sharp black light, a shadow that would cloak my thoughts forever. There was no way of coming back or even beginning to heal from the situation I had gone through as a result of his hate, but again ... I can't change it, so why I'm continuing to complain I do not know.

In the end, I was scared by his memory and the sad part, he wasn't the only scar in which had stitched its way into the back of my mind. This time spent alone in the hospital had given me ample time to recall each taunting memory from my past, none of which I actually wanted to entertain but time, boredom, seclusion, it will do that to you. I had learned long ago that with every scar singed into my life something equally as fierce would occur, giving life to a fragment of hope, of love, of sanity. All things required in my opinion, to, I wouldn't say move on, no, because each of these scars still hurt as much as they did the day they surfaced. Still, while I struggled against this internal horror flick which reeled my past fears in a relentless wave of intense memory I had come to terms with them. I knew I couldn't change them and I knew they would never stop burning as bright, the difference? I had something far more meaningful in my life that overshadowed, dominated any amount of fear I could ever feel. And while I cherished this external amount of strength, I hadn't always had it. What is it, you ask? Please, you already know the answer. This external strength took the form of Richard John Grayson... wherever he was at this moment.

On another note, if I was being honest I felt as though it was as if the medication was making things worse. The hallucinations I had begun to see were... I don't know, they were either dreams or visions of death that smiled back at me and I couldn't make them go away. I would look at simple objects and no longer see the beauty shine from them but somehow my mind sought out the demented and darker aspects of things. I was struggling each day, the vision of Mr. Roth never really fading. Whether he invaded my mind through the incessant nightmares or the mystifying hallucination, it felt real, more than real, it felt as though I, as a person, as a being, I was slowly disintegrating. Of course I was the only one aware of these hallucinations. I hadn't told anyone, and be honest.. would you have? It doesn't exactly scream sanity now does it? This realization didn't just have a hold on me it was the reason I couldn't move on. Sure it had only been a few days but it seemed as though time had slowed around me, in no hurry to allow me to become free of any of this.

In the end, this place was making me crazy. The smells, the food, the water, the hollow smiles of the doctors and nurses that were forced to be in my presence, I wasn't sure how Dick had managed to stay in here so long after his accident. I was going crazy staring at the white walls which surrounded me, the scent of antiseptic and rubber gloves stifling my senses.

Giving the nurse a quick sigh I lifted my suitcase and headed into the hallway and stopped before the large desk, my frustration deepening as the woman behind the desk raised a finger to me while she continued with her phone conversation. Rolling my eyes I said, "Look, I'm Kori Anders and I'm checking myself out so... yea."

Without giving her time to respond, let alone comprehend my words above the ones being spoken into her ear through the phone, I took to the exit. My eyes widened as a sea of photographers charged me, their cameras flaring at my retinas. I shielded my eyes from the blinding lights and tried my hardest to ignore the incessant aggressive questions being shouted at me.

"Kori... Kori,... is it true your heart stopped during surgery?

"Kori, why are you leaving the hospital alone? Are things with Dick Grayson not doing so well?"

"Is it true you were living in the Manor with Dick Grayson when you were attacked?'

"KORI!"

"KORI! Look over here!"

I could feel my chest heaving now. I was hyperventilating in the midst of this crowd which seemed to grow by each second. This was the intelligent moment I realized I had no ride out of this hell hole. THen suddenly...

"Kori."

This call of my name was far too familiar to be ignored. I turned within the crowd to find, no, not my Richard, but Roy. Too many different, conflicted emotions overcame me now. Emotions I couldn't even begin to entertain while in the midst of this chaotic scene growing larger around me, the people shoving harder and screaming louder at me. Now, I hope you'll understand my behavior in response to Roy as he pulled at my hand forcing me from the crowd and toward his car.

"Where's your bike?" I managed to say, thinking it somewhat ironic that a car was perfect since I had my suitcase in hand and the truth that I had never seen him drive anything other than a motorcycle all seemed so coincidental.

He opened the passenger door and guided me inside then shut the door, racing to the driver's side and immediately pulling out of the parking lot. As the hospital faded from view in the side mirror my eyes remained focused on I felt my body relax slightly. That is until I looked to Roy who had a smile directed on the traffic before us.

"Thank you." I said brushing my bangs to the side and hating the fact that I looked ridiculous in this moment.

"I've been trying to visit you since you were admitted. I guess I just got lucky today."

I rolled my eyes, not so much at Roy for trying to visit me and more about Dick who I knew had probably specified to the hospital that Roy Harper needs to be denied visitation to me. Which sure I can understand Dick's point of view but as of right now all that was on my mind was that Richard didn't really care enough to visit so why he should be putting limitations on those who would have visited, it just frustrated me.

"Where do you want to go?"

I sighed. "Home." I paused as I noticed Roy's smile remained like stone on his features. "Look, as much as I appreciate the ride... I just... you realize if I had any other choice I wouldn't have... I mean..."

"Relax Kori." He said placing a hand upon my knee. A gesture I quickly corrected by casting it away.

"I'm serious Roy. If..." I placed a hand against the bridge of my nose, my eyes shut at the beginning of a headache which invaded my mine. "When Dick finds out about this he's..." I sighed again, the headache gravitating more toward the strength of a migraine. "... he's gonna be really upset so."

"So what?" He chuckled. "Come on Kor, you two may have decided to become a couple but I think you and I both know that wont last long."

"I really don't want to argue with you."

His voice softened. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll take you home and I'll leave." At the time his car stopped at a red light his concerned expression turn to me. "I just want you to know I'm here for you... for anything."

"Don't... don't do that. Don't be nice to me. You're making all of this harder than it has to be. You should be furious with me, call me names, put me down, but... don't be nice to me."

"I can't help it."

The car suddenly came to halt in front of my house and as I removed myself from the car I paused noticing Roy's footsteps coming toward me. With a heavy sigh I turned to him but before I could object to his attempt at what I was assuming was him trying to join me in my house, I felt a collision. My eyes widened as his left hand invaded my personal space, gripping tightly behind my head pulling me into his lips. I tried to shove him away from me but the strength of his hands on me, the other wrapped aggressively around my waist held me still. He lingered in the kiss for a short moment the released me earning a slap across the face.

"You have some nerve!" I yelled, inhaling deeply as I began to back away from him. My frustration setting in further as he smiled back at me.

"Tell Grayson I'll be anticipating our next talk."

Wiping at my lips as if to rid myself of his taste I quickly accepted my suitcase from his car then I stepped into my empty house ignoring the loud screech of burning rubber as Roy pealed out of the driveway and back to the street. Great, just another piece of my life that just got more complicated.

I sighed, locking the door behind me, the echo of loneliness within the house sounded loudly with each of my movements. I paused in the living room, my eyes wandering over every aspect of the room down to the smallest of details. Everything seemed so different as if I were seeing everything in a completely different perspective. There was a tightness that rose in my chest as I noticed the several picture frames which resided on a long shelf behind the couch. I stepped to them slowly, my eyes weighing heavy over each of them, each memory, each piece of my life that could have easily have been lost. Now, while I didn't really want to see anyone at this time, it felt nice to remember them through these photos which served as instances of frozen time back when things seemed a whole lot easier.

The first photo was of our entire family, the sight of my father and his bubbly smile striking at my heart now. I could feel my eyes glaze over and yet no tears sprang to life. I lifted the photo into my hands and peered down at the vibrant life my family once held. Things weren't just different then, it was as if we were an entirely different family, complied of completely separate lives in which we led now. Since my father had passed, us girls were lost. We had all managed to scrape by, surviving such an infinite loss each in our own way. My mother she was happier then, so full of life and the possibilities of tomorrow, and now, now she was this drone that lived and breathed work. My sister had receded with the scum of our society and lavished herself in drugs and money, surrounding herself with superficial yet hollow individuals, they were all dead inside even her I believed in some circumstances. Me? I think out of all of us I had been the lucky one. I had found Richard. I had helped him years before with the passing of both of his parents so when I lost my father, while things seemed hopeless, with him at my side I had managed to survive, scratch that, he had actually restored the happiness I had lost that day.

I set the photo back upon the shelf and took a sidestep to my right, a photo I had framed and placed here on my own coming into view. It was of us, all of us, the gang I mean. It was the perfect execution of a picture which captured each of our personalities. My mother had taken it one summer when we were all vacationing in the Bahamas. We were all situated on a bed of towels on the beach which we had set up around each other. Dick and I were situated behind everyone, not at a distance but in relation to everyone else in the photo. He was sitting with me, his arms around me from behind, his signature shades directed at Vic mid laugh. Vic looked back at him as if in conversation, his expression contorted in a slight cringe at the sight of Gar. Gar was the only one standing, his arms stretched out in front of him in his usual demeanor of overly excited enthusiasm. He was focused on Rachel who had approached us in a one piece bathing suit. Gar's eyes were wide and if I remember correctly he had spouted off a comment to her appearance in which she didn't take too kindly to. She stood with her arms cross at an angle from the camera, her left arched brow hardly making an appearance in the shot but you could tell she was brimming with agitation. Then there was me. I sat with my arms laced over Dick's which were around my knees that I had tucked into my chest. I was laughing along with Vic and Dick at the obvious anticipation of Rachel's response to Gar's outburst. It was beautiful, everything about it. The way the sun had glistened off of each of us, the sheer excitement of the day which we were in the middle of, and the sharp horizon consumed by the raging ocean behind us.

I swallowed hard, the memories that danced across my mind filled me with enough comfort to begin to finally relax.

I swallowed hard as the phone to my house sounded. I felt my expression hardened. Who could really be calling? No one has been home for a little while now. I stepped into the kitchen and hesitated before answering. Clearing my throat I lifted the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

The voice on the other line raised in a stressed screech. "Kori! Oh my God! I've been trying to reach you. Why aren't you in the hospital? What are you thinking?"

I sighed, leaning my back against the wall now. "Hey Mom, I'm fine, ... everything is fine."

"Why wouldn't you call me after vanishing from the hospital. The doctor just called me in a panic saying you just left."

"I couldn't be there anymore."

I heard a sigh escape her. "Look, give the phone to Dick... I need to speak with him. Make sure he takes care of you."

"I don't need to be taken care of."

"Just put him on the phone."

I hesitated. "He's... he's not here."

"Alright, then put Rachel on."

I rolled my eyes, anticipating her rant now. "She's not here either."

There was a pause then her anger became fully engrossed into our conversation. "You know what Kori... I'll just have to come home."

My eyes widened. "No..." I really just wanted to be alone. "Mom, I said I was fine."

"Do you have any idea how heartbroken I felt when the news stands filled with the latest tragedy of your life? I hadn't heard from you. I hadn't even the slightest clue that you were in the hospital until this morning and now... now after all you've been through you flee from the hospital and you go home to be alone? Kori being alone is not what you need right now."

"Yes mother, it is. I'm just trying to catch up on sleep, please do not leave New York to come home and watch me sleep hours on end. I'm tired that's all."

She hesitated once more. "Are you certain your fine? The police haven't given me any insight as to what happened only that you were attacked by Mr. Roth. The doctors said you were beaten up really badly."

"I'm fine. I don't know how else to tell you. Please, just... let me get some sleep. I give you my word I will call you when I wake up."

"Keep your phone by you at all times."

I sighed. "Fine, but... don't get all crazy with the phone calls. I need my rest."

"Kori... I love you, darling."

I smiled, her words bringing a small amount of comfort to me. "I love you too."

I could tell she was holding back tears now. "Alright well... I still need to speak with Dick."

"For what? He's not going to want to hear you rambling on about my safety, he already knows how to look after me."

"Right but I know him far more than you give me credit for and I know he would appreciate the words I have to say."

"Fine..." I was so over this conversation now. "I'll call you later."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

I had been alone for a good hour now, the silence that lingered over me had given me the precise amount of calm to take a pause in my life but I soon realized that with the silence, my mind was beginning to retreat into the darker parts of my thoughts. Only after blaring the stereo to distract my mind was I able to finally begin to get back in touch with myself. I had pushed the couches back, shoving the coffee table up against one of the corner walls and lay out a soft blanket in the center of the room. I had come to the realization that I missed Komi at a time like this. Did I want to really see her? No, but the memory of the great times we used to spend together raced through my thoughts.

I had surrounded myself with cosmetics and lotions and creams, nail polish and every other amount of beauty products I could think of. My body was still so sore from the attack coupled with the draining feeling which was a consequence of the medication so I thought I would treat myself. Besides, the sight of my tanned skin invaded with scabs and abrasions was making me feel completely disgusting. I had already showered, spun my damp hair into a high bun and ordered a pizza. To say I was starving would be an understatement. I wanted food, and what I considered to be real food. Something greasy and unhealthy, unlike anything served to me during my short stay in the hospital.

I smiled down at my freshly polished lavender toe nails and lifted the bottle of beer which I had beside me to my lips. Cherishing every last drop of the cooling bitter taste of the alcohol I had become so accustomed to, pausing only as the doorbell rang. My body perked up in excitement as I walked toward the door, my stance positioned heavily on my heels as not to ruin my newly finished pedicure. As I opened the door my eyes narrowed against the delivery man's wide-eyed expression. It was now that I remembered the aqua tinted facemask in which I had painted onto my face a while ago. I gave him an embarrassed giggle then quickly paying him, I accepted the pizza, locking the door and resuming my position in the center of the living room.

My stomach growled up at me impatiently at the delicious rising smell of the warm food as I set the box beside me. I took one sip of my beer then dove into the pizza. No one was watching, who cares if I looked ridiculous in this moment,... I was hungry.

After consuming my fill, I returned my interest to my appearance. I applied a thin layer of lotion to my legs, where the scabs from the broken glass I had fallen onto the other night stood out against my otherwise clear skin. From there I moved on to my choice of clothing. Turning the music up to a louder volume I made my way into my room diving into my sock drawer until I came across the precise set of knee height socks I wanted and pulled them on. I changed into a pair of jean shorts and slipped into a small tank top. As I stepped to my vanity mirror I smiled back at my appearance. I may not have been able to fade the noticeable scab on my brow, the unnatural red abrasions striped across my neck, or the puffiness beneath my eyes but I was starting to look myself again and not just that, since I had eaten, my mind was becoming less cloudy. Then out of nowhere a shadow crept passed my mirror. As I turned, even as I recognized the person standing there I still screamed out in fear.

"You look like shit."

I shook my head and tried to calm my breathing. "What the hell are you doing here? How are you..."

"It's nice to see you two sister dear." Komi said with a smirk. She jumped back onto my bed with a sigh. "I can honestly say I've actually missed you." I paused as her eyes moved over my features, narrowing and her voice taking to a more serious tone. "I heard about what happened."

"And?" I said with a sigh, my breath still just out of normalcy.

She shrugged, sitting up now. "Would you believe me if I said I was worried about you?" I gave her a set of narrowed eyes to which she laughed at. "Fine, well... I was. If you ask me I would've killed the bastard that did this to you."

I nodded, the desire I had to steer clear of all things negative weighing heavily on me. "So, what are you doing here?"

"I got out of rehab yesterday and I've been here ever since. I'll tell you... I've never been so happy to be rich."

"What? Why?" I watched her closely as she lifted her left foot at an angle on the bed. It was now that I realized the thick, tacky black bracelet upon her ankle. I laughed. "Really? House arrest?"

"It's not so bad. I mean with a mansion for a home I can hardly see how I'm really being punished."

I shook my head as she began to follow me downstairs. We made our way into the kitchen, both of us pausing for a moment to stare back at one another awkwardly.

"What?" She said.

I rolled my eyes. "Nothing... you're just... you're hovering."

"I'm bored."

"No, you're concerned?" I said in a playful tone. "Come on Komi, I'll be fine."

"Right... but why not make a night of it. Hearing your sister was almost brutally murdered kind of makes one rethink all the horrible things they've done to her."

I rolled my eyes, her sincerity actually believable. Clearing my throat I smiled. "Alright, fine. What do you want to do?"

She smiled, a smile I hadn't seen since we were kids and there was no competitive struggle or hate for one another layered beneath. It was a pure smile, a smile that actually comforted me. "Now, I may not be able to partake in any fun drugs, but..." She paused before our famous liquor cabinet. "... I can drink."

"I don't know, I was actually kind of looking forward to some time on my own. I don't think alcohol will make my situation better."

She laughed. "Oh contraire... alcohol will take the pain away."

I rolled my eyes. "There is seriously something wrong with you. That sounds more like the logic of an alcoholic."

She paused, her brows lowering in thought, then with a shrug her demeanor perked up again. "So? That doesn't make it any less true."

As she poured two glasses of wine I smiled. "Starting out calm are we?"

She nodded. "Its going to be a long night." She paused as we both entered the living room. She turned to me, her eyes looking down at my hands. "Here... come sit. I'll do your manicure."

I was hesitant, not really use to this kind of behavior from her. I sat nonetheless though. "You don't have to be this nice to me. I know your dealing with your own stuff and..."

"Come on, you think I'm doing this for you?" She gave off a snorted laugh, her hand setting her wine glass beside her on the floor. "Trust me, the world will thank me when this is over. You never were good at the mani part, but I'll admit you have the pedi area down."

We sat for a long while, both having agreed neither one was willing to discuss the situations we were in. Her with her approaching court dates, being under house arrest, and me, well you know my situation. At one point in the hours we had been sitting, talking, drinking and just coexisting peacefully that Komi had turned the music up louder, the reaction was more laughter, louder conversation and an overall amount of unexpected release from me. I didn't think about my friends' about Dick, about MR. Roth, about the hallucinations, ... nothing. And then it happened, and just before she could voice her words my heart sunk. I knew merely by the devious look that took for, in her eyes that she was going to talk about something I really didn't want to.

Her frail, untanned arm reached toward me, a bottle of whiskey at hand now as she refilled my glass. "You know, there's actually something else I heard while I was away that sort of... caught my interest."

I raised a brow in her direction. I knew she was waiting for me to say 'really? and whats that?' but I did not want to give in to her trap, so I remained silent.

Clearing her throat she continued. "I heard you and that Roy boy called it quits ... and... I was wondering what sparked that change? I mean the tabloids, at least when you two were together, had stopped preaching you and Grayson's undying love and yet now... now the rumors are back on that you and Grayson are a thing."

Our eyes locked now. Lifting my glass to my lips, trying to hold back the cringe that possessed my expression from the harsh alcohol, I shrugged. "So?"

"So... whats really going on? The last time I saw you with Roy you were happy.. why call it quits?"

Keeping my easily readable gaze averted from her, I could see in the corner of my eye that she was shaking her head in a silent laugh to herself.

"I knew it. Grayson finally stepped in, didn't he?" I looked to her now, unsure of how to respond, her eyes widening. "I knew it! So... is he why you're all gloomy right now? Because he never visited you in the hospital?"

"How did you know that?"

She rolled her eyes. "Please, I've been here an entire day with an annoying amount of time on my hands. I've watched the news, the poor kids been back and forth at the police station and the Manor trying to clear things up so that the police will back off of you until you're better."

I felt my breath thin out in an uneven flow. I shook my head. Have you ever been in a situation where someone you know you probably can't trust, regardless of how open and how different their current behavior is and you almost feel as though you can probably confide your secrets with them, but the back of your mind is screaming at you to just keep your mouth shut... yea, this is where I'm at. I knew if I spoke about Dick and I that it would come back to bite me in the ass, but I did anyway.

"I just... I felt like I really needed him you know. I needed him at my side to make things better and he was just... gone." I rolled my eyes. "Now of course, since you told me he was busy with the police, sure, now I feel guilty for ever thinking badly of him but... that doesn't change anything now does it?"

"That depends... is he a friend... or... more than a friend?"

Her eyes lit up in a far too curious mood, so I continued. "Well... I mean, yea."

"I fucking knew it!" I hesitated as her body shifted forward until her weight was placed completely on her legs which tucked beneath her. "So is he as good in bed as people say?"

I felt myself blush in somewhat painful amount of emotion and embarrassment. "Uh... no I ... I don't know."

Her brows raised suggestively in excitement. "Yet." I shook my head, immediately downing the rest of my drink. "Oh come on don't be embarrassed you know you've thought about it."

I sighed, shutting my eyes in hesitation. Uh... yea, of course I've thought about it, a lot more recently then I would admit to myself let alone my loud mouthed sister. Clearing my throat I forced a laugh. "Well, I mean... can we just forget about this conversation?"

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTTTTTT**

**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

"You're crazy!" I heard Vic's voice sound in a hardly successful whisper. "How could you go see her?"

"Dude, I'm gonna be there to visit Kori and I might as well check on her too." Gar's voice sounded in a strangely depressed tone.

"We could always have Rachel check on her." Vic said with an exhausted laugh.

"Do what?" I asked, entering the kitchen, the two jumping at my presence. I raised a brow, feeling far too exhausted for their games. We had all just spent an endless amount of time down at the police station trying to clear the entire 'crime scene' being held at the Manor. We were all gathered in the hotel suite I was staying in after our long day.

"Uhh... we nothing." Gar said nervously.

"Gar's actually considering visiting that bitch Terra in the hospital."

I was too drained to offer my opinion in the matter, the only thought on my mind, the only thing worth staying alert at this point for, was Kori. Giving each of them a careless shrug I immediately stepped to the hotel door and made my way to the hospital as fast as I could. I knew she was furious with me, and she had every right to be. While I had done my best to get to her in the hospital the amount of questions and accusations being tossed at all of us were never ending. The police had even given me the option to visit Kori as long as an officer escorted me, and while that sounds since, I knew better. Kori was the main victim in all of this and the police, as well as the media, were dying to get an exclusive interview with her and as much as I was missing her right now, I couldn't put her through that. She had been through too much and a list of questions which would all need detailed explanations of her attack was not what she needed.

With a yawn I entered the hospital, making my way to the nurse's station. "Excuse me..." The short, squat of a woman draped in a pale blue scrubs looked to me. I ignored the excitement on her face as she realized who I was and continued. "I'm here to see Kori Anders." An alarming amount of panic set over me now as the nurse's smile changed into pure confusion. Clearing my throat, I rolled my eyes. "That's Anders, Kori... which room?"

Her hesitancy lowered to a stack of paperwork, her eyes scanning over the large file impatiently. Inhaling deeply she looked to me again, her brown eyes struggling for words. "She... she isn't here."

"I'm sorry, what?"

She looked down to the paperwork again. I didn't have time for this. All I wanted was to be with Kori again. "Umm... I'm sorry Mr. Grayson, but she checked herself out this morning."

My entire body froze, completely as if incapable of comprehending something so simple and unsure of how to respond to this. It was as if my mind was wiped clean of all things knowledge related. There was no way Kori left this hospital on her own without at least trying to contact me. Fine, I had her cellphone, and sure, she was probably still fuming as a result of my silence these past few days, but... this was Kori, she would have called me. Right?

I shook my head, discarding my thoughts. "I'm sorry... you said she's... gone?"

"Gone. This morning."

My anger and hurt rose out of this truth. Kori should have called me, or, I guess I should have called her. Either way I should have known where she was right now and I didn't, and I hated it. My eyes widened, the pounding in my chest reaching a high frequency now as my anger directed itself to the nurse. "I ... why? Why wouldn't you call me? I'm listed under Kori's contacts for emergencies, why was I not informed of her departure?"

"Umm, because it wasn't an emergency. It's not illegal for her to discharge herself from the hospital. Her vitals were under control and while the doctor would have preferred her to stay a little longer," she shrugged. "We can't force her to stay."

I paused for a second, not wanting to fully believe what I was hearing but eventually came to my senses and barged out of the hospital. I raced through the streets at a high-speed and when I finally reached her house I didn't even bother knocking. There was loud music playing which made me nervous to think that she was not alone and as I fixed my key into the door I shoved it open, somewhat surprised at what I found. Kori and Komi sat in the center of the living room and it appeared that they were... happy? This only infuriated me more and as I turned the music down they looked to me wide-eyed. I stared back at Kori in disappointment from behind my shades.

"What the hell were you thinking?"

I ignored the roll of Komi's eyes as she lifted herself from her place upon the floor and disappeared into the kitchen. I glared back at Kori not angry at her but disappointed that she didn't tell me she was out.

"Dick, I... I'm sorry. I just needed a little space." She said standing and pausing before me nervously.

"Do you have any idea what you just put me through?" I exhaled curtly. "I mean, I went to the hospital ready to fight against this nurses words when she told me that you had left this morning, because..." I paused with an unamused, sarcastic laugh. "... I mean I knew if you were to leave you'd at least let me know. Not just disappear and..."

"How was I suppose to know you would choose the one day I decide to leave to actually visit me." My jaw tightened against her words and the pain in her eyes. "Look... I don't ... I don't want to fight with you alright. I... miss you too much to willingly enter into one of our little banters right now."

My anger subsided now. She was right, I didn't want to fight with her either. I inhaled deeply allowing myself a moment to overlook her appearance. I swallowed hard, that pain that stung at my chest to see her in suffering sharpened now. She looked thin, far too thin for having only been in the hospital for two days and her skin seemed less vibrant, not that I was any less attracted to her, only that the pain her body had endured and survived was more than apparent. As her amazing jade eyes cowered before mine I brought her into my arms embracing her as gently as I could while still managing to feed my desire to hold her tightly.

"I would have been there if I could. I hope you know that." She pulled away from me with a comforting smile meant to display her amount of acceptance in the situation. Raising my hand to her chin I leaned down to her and I could feel my eyes were intense regardless that they were still hidden beneath my sunglasses. "Are you aright? I mean,... are you... how are you feeling?"

She smiled up at me then connected her lips to mine. I felt my body succumb to an immense amount of emotion at the act. Her lips had never felt so soft, her taste never so appealing then in this moment, the sweet taste of liquor on her breath.

"Can I... let me get you out of here?"

She hesitated, a hand against her forehead in thought. "I don't know. Komi's here all alone and..."

"I don't care about Komi, Kor. I need to be with you right now. These past few days have been torture without you and I just..." I paused, a thought crossing my mind. "Can I take you to dinner?"

I was surprised when she shook her head. "No... I ... I look awful and a public scenery is the last thing that..."

"Please..." I said, thanking her hand into mine. "I want to take you out."

"Look at me Dick... I look..."

"The only thing you need to concern yourself with is how beautiful I think you are. That's all that will ever matter... do you understand me? I just... I need to see you smiling again. I wanna make everything better."

It pained me more than I can even describe to see her feeling so out of sorts, but as her smile surfaced before me, I felt a sense of calm.

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"Are you ready for this?" I asked as I noticed Kori's nervous gaze upon the crowd that gathered outside our favorite restaurant. Before she could reply I took her hand, planting a sweet kiss against her knuckles. "Come on... it's just you and me."

It may sound like a pathetic announcement of jealousy by wanting to take her to a public place, my arms around her, if only to make it obvious to the world that she was mine, but I couldn't help it. I was feeling strange around her, as if I would lose her, and it wasn't anything that she had done, no, it was the unfortunate amount of suspicion Roy had forced into my mind. If you recall, he had gone out of his way to get me to believe he and Kori had slept together and while I was certain she had not, that didn't exactly mean that it wasn't on my mind now and then.

This was it though, the first official viewing of us as a couple that the world would be let into. The moment I stepped from the car a smile tugged at my lips, the satisfaction I was about to feel as the media ignited against Kori and me was far too much to anticipate calmly. I stepped to the passenger door, the cameras descending upon us now. I took Kori's hand and guiding her from the car and into my immediate possession we both turned to the crowd. I could feel her hands shaking nervously, but as we made our way through the riot of paparazzi, placing an arm around her, I suddenly felt her posture calm.

As the paparazzi began to crowd around us further I placed a hand out in front of us to assume a barrier of personal space and formed a charming smile. "Give us some space guys. Kori's not feeling well tonight."

At my words the crowd began to shift slightly, just enough for me to get Kori and myself through. Entering the restaurant we were quickly seated, me left across from her at the table admiring the beauty that was Kori. Now, if you were to ask her how she looked in this moment she would surely spout off about how ridiculous she looked but me,... for me she was the most beautiful person I had ever laid eyes on. She was perfect, absolutely perfect in every way. The only flaw in this evening was the nervous glances she was giving to the other people around us which was bothering me. I wanted her to enjoy herself tonight, after all this was truly the first time we were going out as a couple.

I caught her attention suddenly by resituating my chair beside hers and putting an arm around her. I sent a kiss to her forehead, my voice lowering in a serious yet uneven tone. "I love you Kori."

Her eyes snapped to mine, the amount of passion in her gaze increased my heart rate instantly. And then, there it was again, ... my smile, the smile she had somehow designed just for me. The one smile that could render me defenseless against her, the smile I had fallen in love with.

"I love you too, Dick." She replied, eyes sparkling.

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**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

It was day three since my fathers attack. The past two days had been nothing more than an agonizingly, slow-paced chain of events which I, along with the rest of my friends, were barely surviving. The unavoidable truth being that without Kori, who remained in the hospital under observation, we were falling apart. If we had been unaware of it previously, it was far too clear now that we just weren't the same without her. Something was missing and we all knew it was her and her bright smile, positive attitude and shining eyes that we needed. If the past proved anything, it was that Kori was always the one to tear each of us from our pain, suffering, and doubt and, while sometimes it was forced upon us, she always managed to brighten our outlook on any situation, no matter how mild or tragic.

The majority of our time was not spent at the hospital but had been consumed by incessant interrogation from the police who were still trying to piece together the whole scene. As a result of this, the Manor was considered a crime scene and Dick was staying in the large penthouse suite in the hotel downtown. We spent our free time there if only to relax after being asked the same questions over and over, just in a million different ways. And while we were always around each other the vibe around us ... it was dark, depressing, quiet. Which isn't to say that the world around us didn't still bounce around and spring to life at every corner. No, it was us, individually, we were scarred. We couldn't see past the fear of what happened in relation to what could have happened. It would have been far to easy to have really lost Kori, one small event changed and she could be dead. She had barely managed to escape it as it were, and this, this was something I could never let go. I should have been there for her, I should have been the one to place the barrel of the gun to my father. I wouldn't have missed any vital vein. If it were me, the bastard wouldn't be breathing still. Thinking back to everything now I see that I was not as strong as I wished myself to be and I knew everything that happened from here on out was my fault. As I said before, our group, it depended on Kori to return the spark of light to our lives but she was in the hospital, the days dragging on without her. She was the beauty in our friendship, she made all of us happy and now, now that she wasn't here, we were all feeling her loss, Dick, I think the most.

While I know Kori would say this event had brought us all closer, in reality, without her here, it made us take a pause. We still spent time around one another but it was complete and utter silence throughout the day, the dark auras that hung heavy on our shoulders had began to feed off each others sinking each of us further and further into the quicksand we were in. When I looked to the faces of my friends, I saw myself and this was not something to applaud even the very least. They were depressed, alone, angry... lost.

Gar remained in this state of unanticipated silence, well, each of us did, but it was more of a shock to see that he had receded into it as well. His usual upbeat and enthusiastic personality had faltered, diluted itself among the constant regret and betrayal he felt in this situation. Because, while I was blaming myself for everything that happened that night, I could tell his mind was focused on blaming himself. He blamed himself for falling victim to Terra's words, and in the end, her betrayal to him, being the sole purpose that Kori and myself were hurt. Vic was no better. He would ever so often mumble to himself, comments made to stab at his self-esteem. He was upset at the fact that he had been rendered completely useless that night, ... his words, not mine. And Dick, well, that's an entirely different story. I had never seen him so depressed, the problem being, he wasn't just upset he was furious. A part of me would even go as far as to say that he was angry with everyone in this room. We all sat in the living room within the penthouse in, as I have made obvious, in complete silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, more of a frustrated silence. We all just sat quietly, eyes averted to the floor, no one in the mood for conversation as we waited for Dick to return. He had said he was going to visit Kori and I think we were all waiting to hear how she was doing.

"Hey Rachel..." Gar's graveled voice reached out to me as I stepped into the kitchen for a drink.

I paused turning to him, the expression on his face making me somewhat nervous. "What?"

I felt my eyes narrow as he positioned his slim figure against one of the counters to his right, a heavy sigh drawing from him.

"What?" I repeated in annoyance.

He inhaled deeply and I could tell what he was about to say was something far more than just serious. He scrapped his fingernails through his mess of green hair and for some reason his eyes refused to focus on mine. "I..." he lowered his voice to a whisper yet managed to contain the amount of emotion he was feeling. "I saw you there."

My mind flashed wide awake now. I knew immediately what he was referring to and it was something that could very much lead to more trouble, at least for me. It was now that his gaze studied mine. I knew I was consistently masking any amount of alert I felt in this moment, but it was as if he knew what I was trying to do. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you do."

Swallowing hard I forced a roll of my eyes then leaned down into the fridge for one of the herbal teas which remained at the bottom shelf. "Seriously Gar, I don't have time for this." I came to an abrupt halt as I noticed him step to me, towering over my existence now. Raising a brow up at him my expression remained firm upon the border of uncertainty. "What?"

His large forest green eyes snapped back and forth across my expression. "You realize it will be you who they come after first."

I stepped passed him. "As I said, I don't know what you're talking about."

"There's no way around it Rachel. I was there, I saw you, I... I know you have something to do with his disappearance."

I lunged at him now, my hand placed over his mouth and my eyes wide. "Shut the fuck up Gar. You don't know what you saw... and you shouldn't be talking about it either."

"Why not?" He said shoving me back in an amount of dominance I had never experienced from him. He stepped to me with a raised finger. "You're such an idiot Rachel. Its going to be all over the news tomorrow and ..."

"Why do you care?" I said, teeth grinding in agitation.

It was now that I felt my anger completely vanish, if only for the moment, as his expression gave way to his anger into disappointment. I hated seeing him like this, it was ... annoying the way it effected me so. His eyes were blanketed slightly in an amount of concern that made them somewhat shine.

"Rachel... I ... I think its obvious by now that I care about you and..." I felt my gaze flicker in nervousness. I was hoping he would just stop right then and there, and not go any further. "I just... I can't... how am I suppose to fix this?"

I raised a brow at him in response. "I don't need anyones help to..."

"Yea yea... I get it, your independent, you stand alone against everything, ..." He paused, fixing a hand in one of his pockets with that adorable little shrug of helplessness that I somehow found... attractive. "...but what about us... your friends that are here, thrust on the sidelines by your distant behavior? How are we suppose to react to something like this. I mean... is it worth it?"

"Of course it is." I said turning away and entering the hallway, trying to escape him in my room. But... of course he followed. "Just leave Gar. I don't feel like doing this right now. Not with you."

He shut the door behind us and stared down at me as I situated myself, legs crossed on the edge of the bed, my hands rubbing at my temples in frustration.

"This isn't fair, your just being selfish."

"Selfish?" I yelled now, his ignorance being far too much for me to hold back against. I managed to lower my voice as not to alert Vic of the specific conversation Gar and I were involved in but the anger upon my face was still very apparent to Gar. I took one step closer to him. "Are you crazy? Gar, its my fault Kori was almost murdered by him. Its my fault your girlfriend is in the hospital being kept alive by tubes and needles and... and more importantly, its my fault my father survived that night."

"No it's not Rachel, none of this is..."

"Fuck that, Gar. You know just as well as I that I have to fix my mistake. He should have died that night and now... now I'm going to make it so that he is. Everything is as it should be."

"And when the cops come...what then? You think I want you taken away over this? DO you really think taking his life is worth losing yours to a life in prison?"

"Absolutely."

My anger allowed me to ignore the spark in his eyes as it faded. I watched coldly as he stepped to the door, then paused.

"Just go." I demanded.

He shook his head as if contemplating something. "I wont let them take you."

"I'm telling you to stay out of this Gar."

"When the cops come, and you know by morning they will, what are you going to say?"

"The truth. It wont be so hard for them to believe anyway. With a father like mine it's almost expected."

"You can't tell them the truth."

"I have to."

"No, Rachel... " He stepped to me desperately. "... you can't. If you were to kill some innocent person on the street I could understand you feeling guilty or feeling obligated to turn yourself in but... this man, your father,... he deserves everything he gets."

"I wont lie and I don't need you trying to justify my actions. The consequences that follow will be my own, I do not need you interfering, so just stay out of it like I told you."

There was a deafening silence that surrounded us now. Both of our gazes fighting for dominance over the other. Then, without reason his body moved toward mine and I suddenly felt his hands at either side of my jaw line and his lips... they were against mine again, the same, somewhat intoxicating emotion settling over me as before. There was no amount of thought, or successful, amount of train of thought that consumed me now, only the ever-changing motion of his touch. For some reason, without hesitation both of our bodies responded in progression, as if this moment was anticipated for each of us. I didn't question the amount of passion he seemed to be able to muster for me and he didn't speak either, just continued his shockingly amount of drive. And I'll admit, his confidence right now was far too enjoyable.

Before I knew it we were both back upon the bed, his scrawny body hovering over mine shirtless now. I wasn't sure how far he was willing to take this moment but with the increasing display his determination to kiss, touch, feel every part of me... I allowed it. The truth was as annoying as he had always been to me, this was something I couldn't say I didn't actually want.

It was only at the sound of Vic's loud voice carrying itself to us in the hallway that brought out exchange of heated passion to a stop. I shoved Gar off of me without concern of where he would fall and I stepped to the mirror, checking my appearance. It was obvious Dick was back from the hospital and was ready to tell us all how Kori was, so I rushed to readjust my hair which was slightly frizzed. I paused only as I felt Gar's presence beside me.

"We can continue this later." He said wiggling his brows at me as he fixed his shirt over his head.

I shoved him back in a clear display of annoyance and stepped to the door, coming to a halt only as he stepped in front of me. His expression was drenched in determination now. "I wont let the police take you alright. I'll figure something out."

I rolled my eyes, shoving my way passed him. "I said to stay out of it."

"Just... tell me where he is."

I ignored him, entering the living room to find Kori and Dick standing beside Vic. I forced a smile, masking the undoubtably obvious truth that unbenounced to everyone aside from Gar,... things were about to become very interesting, this mere fact being confirmed as my phone buzzed with a text.

**KOMI**: _I have what you asked for. Remember, Kori stays out of this._

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**(A/N) Alright so... once again I'm apologizing for taking so long to update. To be honest I really don't even know why this chapter was so difficult for me to write...ugh, maybe because its more of a filler chapter, but I just don't want things to be rushed and I was so ready to jump into the obvious action that's about to happen. So I guess this chapter serves more as a hint to whats to come. Oh, and for those of you who are anticipating some lemony goodness, do not fret, it is already in progress although I just don't want to rush things, but it is coming up soon. Anyway, as far as next chapter, it is already written, which, I actually wrote that one before this one... I got too excited but, anyway I should have it up later tonight or tomorrow at the latest so don't get too upset over the slight cliffhanger I've tossed your way. You wont have to wait much longer. Please review, your opinions are highly appreciated. =]**


	25. Bury Me In Black

**(A/N) This chapter is super long so you might wanna get comfortable**** =]**

Chapter Twenty-Five: **Bury Me In Black**

**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

"Ms. Roth, I think we both are well aware that this is a very serious situation. If you would only cooperate we can bring this to an end."

"I don't know how else you expect me to cooperate. I've answered all of your questions, listened to everything you've all had to say, so why am I _still_ here?" I asked impatiently.

The officer hesitated, his eyes searching through my expression without mercy but I held firm. They had nothing against me, he knew it, the officers hiding behind the one-way mirror knew it and more importantly I knew it. I would be out of this dull room within the next five minutes and I was certain of it.

I watched closely as he inhaled deeply, leaning back into his chair trying to attempt the classic 'I'm the law' demeanor of dominance. "Look,... I'm not saying you have anything to do with your father's disappearance from the hospital, although... it _is_ somewhat unhelpful that you cannot give us an alibi as to where you were between the hours of..."

"Enough!" I snapped at him, his eyes responding in an unnerving response. "The only reason I don't have an alibi is because you and your entire fleet of officers have kept me and my friends here for days interrogating us and depriving us of sleep. So after two days of incessant deliberation on my part, of what happened that night to the best of my knowledge is it so hard to believe that I went to my friend Richard Grayson's penthouse suite and took a long and well deserved nap? You asked him, he told you I was there." I laughed exhaling heavily and lifting a hand to my temple. "I just... I understand you are just doing your job, following procedure or whatever, but..." I focused a forced display of exhaustion and emotion over my expression, a single tear breaking from my eyelid. "I can't... I can't handle this right now. It's bad enough to have the idea that the bastard is wandering the streets... yet again." I shook my head with a sarcastic emotional laugh. "If anyone is in the wrong here it's you and your men. Where was the security over him? How is it he managed to slip between the laws fingers once again?" I stood, pleased with my ability to seem so scared, so nervous. "Now I know none of you can actually keep me here so if you'll excuse me... I have to go back to my friends and comfort them over the latest mistake in the police's inability to sustain one man... one very dangerous man whose got his eyes set on me and my friends."

"Ms. Roth... we are only doing our job."

I laughed. "Yea well, it's about time. A little advice... it's better to catch problems before they are carried out... not wait until people are hurt or dead to charge in and take credit for doing nothing more than picking up the pieces."

"We'll have someone escort you..."

"No... why don't you all just focus on the inevitable truth that if my father isn't found... people are going to die."

I came to halt as the officer called to me. "I have to ask you one last time." He said in a stressed tone, the fact that he, himself, was frightened of my fathers sudden freedom becoming far too obvious to me. He stepped to me, his gaze studying mine once again. "Do you know where your father is?"

There was a moment of silence as I stared up at him unflinching. "No."

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Welcome to the best day of my life. I managed to evade the law in a big way, those idiotic pigs having no clue what was going on, which was fine, it's what I needed in this moment. My only problem... I was being shoved into a room by Gar at the first step of me returning to the penthouse suite.

"What?"

He looked to me wide-eyed and nervous. His voice only confirming his pathetic display of emotion. "I just... Rachel this isn't good." He hesitated. "Wait... how did you... how are you here? I may have been asleep when the police came but everyone told me they took you."

I rolled my eyes. This was my problem, Garfield Logan. A problem in more than one way to be exact. The first, he knew too much, the second, all I wanted to do was to pick off where he and I left off yesterday. What can I say, I somehow found his helplessness attractive. Inhaling deeply I said, "Look, I told them the truth and now..." I placed my hands out at my sides in a shrug. "They let me go."

His large green eyes narrowed at me. "I don't understand. I know that you ..."

"I told you... you don't know what you saw last night."

"But you were there Rachel. I saw you... and then ten minutes later the alarm is going off that an emergency exit was opened and Mr. Roth was missing."

I smiled. "I don't know where he is."

"Of course you do."

"No..." I shrugged again... I really didn't by the way. If that's confusing to you... good, it's suppose to be. I sighed and stepped toward him placing a hand upon his shoulder. "Why don't you _really_ think about what I actually said to you."

He hesitated. "You said that..." I laughed to myself as his brows burrowed against the floor now. "You said that ..."

I rolled my eyes. If I were to wait for him to put the pieces together that I'd be waiting forever. "Look, I said I'd fix the mistake I made that night he attacked us. I told you I would risk everything, even a life in prison to see him die... and I will, once I find him."

"Wait ... wait... wait..." he began again, blocking my path as I tried to leave the room. "No... you made it seem like you knew where he was. I asked you if it was worth it."

"And it will be."

"Then why would..." he scratched at his head which was struggling to think. Which in my opinion, Gar thinking was more of a struggle then most. He waved a finger at me. "You said everything is as it should be... do you really expect me to believe you had nothing to do with his disappearance?"

"I tried to tell you, you didn't know what you were talking about." I laughed, sure, I may not have been lying in this moment, same as at the police station, and sure, I was obviously avoiding some details in the situation, but the point I'm trying to make... I wasn't lying, not even in the slightest. Which was perfect because Gar was easily manipulated. I could avoid the reality of the situation forever with him if I had to. "Look, to you, my father disappearing from the hospital seems like a great big coincidence... but for me... it's nothing more than an opportunity. I _will _find him Gar and I will bring his end. No matter how long it takes."

"You can't ..." He paused as my expression remained unflinching before him, as if I was not in the least bit concerned with the events to come. "Look me in the eye and swear to me... swear that you don't have even the slightest clue as to where he is?"

"Right now... no, I don't."

"Swear it. Swear it on your life." I opened my mouth to quickly oblige with his request but fell silent as he shook his head. "Wait... no, ..." he snapped his fingers. "Swear it on Kori's life."

My brow raised. "What does Kori have to do with any of this?"

"You may care about all of us but Kori... Kori's life you value above all others. So swear it."

I rolled my eyes. "This is so childish."

"Swear it Rachel..." he shrugged, his eyes pleading for me to do so. "... and I'll believe you."

It was this moment that I paused, overlooking his delicate features that were submerged in fear. Then, inhaling deeply I smiled. "I swear on Kori's life..." I leaned my head toward him. "I don't know where he is."

A wave of relief washed over him and he leapt toward me tossing his arms around me in an awkward hug. I allowed him to linger for a moment then I shoved him back with a laugh. "You're so weird."

His squeal of a laugh sounded once more, a laugh I hadn't head for quite some time, as we entered the living room. I looked to Kori who was in a complete sense of shock and horror, her eyes draining with tears as Dick held her close.

I paused staring down at my phone.

**KOMI**:_ Perhaps a vacation in Oregon would be a nice getaway._

I smiled, the timing of everything falling around me was so perfect.

I cleared my throat, all eyes turning to me now. "I think we should all just... get out of here. Get out of California for a while."

The boys looked as though they weren't all that interested, but they weren't the opinion I needed to convince. I looked to Kori, forcing a comforting smile. "We could go up to cabin for a few days. Get some fresh air... if you want."

Her large beautiful green eyes paused in thought.

"I don't know about that..." Dick began, his hand caressing Kori's arm affectionately.

"Actually..." Kori's whine took to the air, interrupting Dick. She looked to me with hopefully eyes, and don't think me so horrible, I felt bad for her, what she was going through, but it would all be over soon. She nodded. "Actually, I think that sounds like the best idea. I don't want to stay here."

"Are you sure Kor?" Dick asked in a concerned tone.

This was it. I knew once I had convinced Kori that Dick would follow her anywhere and I knew from there, Gar would follow me, and Vic he would go to support all of us, he was never one to be too negative about anything. Kori hesitated, a moment of hesitation that was testing my patience.

"It's just... last time this happened we stayed in California and Mr. ... and _he_ found us. I just don't think it could hurt to get away for a little while."

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"Sister dear." Komi's annoying tone of voice greeted us at the front door of Kori's house.

We had all agreed that a night in the mountains would be perfect, a great chance to rekindle as a group which was struggling in a unsturdy friendship. Gar and Vic had traveled back to their homes to gather a few belongings for the unplanned trip and I would have done the same but I had to see Komi. The only issue was that Dick was attacked to Kori at the hips at the moment and it would be close to impossible to tear her away from Komi for a brief conversation that was of high importance for me right now.

"I'll umm... I'll grab you a few things from your room Kori." I said with a comforting smile. "Just spend as much time with Komi as you can before we leave."

She smiled, thanking me then turned to Komi, their conversion echoing off the walls as I made my way upstairs.

"Alright so I found the keys to the cabin in Oregon so... just try to be safe sis." I heard Komi say, then it was silent.

I quickly packed a suitcase of warm clothes for Kori then stepped into the hallway leaving her belongings against the wall and entered Komi's room. There it was on the dresser, the whole reason I needed to be here. I lifted a thick manila envelope with my name on it beneath my sweatshirt and began to make my way out of her room when she entered the room behind me.

"What are you doing?" I asked in a whisper. "Where's Kori and Dick?"

A smirk surfaced on her face as she lowered her voice to match mine. "Don't worry about it. They're on the phone with Bruce asking permission to use his private plane."

I smiled. "Perfect, now I don't have to worry about security."

"Exactly." She said sitting down on her bed with a proud laugh. "I have to admit... I never would have thought you had it in you, but... I'm glad you came to me for help." She pointed to the envelope. "All the information is in there."

"Are we going to have any issues with your contact?"

She laughed, laying back against her pillow. "No... I gave him fifty thousand to keep his silence..." she shrugged in confidence. "... and a little something extra, but that's nothing for you to worry about. Everything is in place, just try to get there quickly."

I nodded. As much as I despise Komi as human being, she was helpful in the situation I was in. In fact, she had practically offered to help me plan all of this. Her help was only a result of Kori and I knew it, she knew I was aware of it, but it didn't really matter, things were coming together. The police were informed that our group of friends were going to Oregon for a few days in hopes they would find my father, and while I knew they wouldn't it was a great excuse to leave the state without suspicion, Kori's overly dramatic personality selling the delivery of said plans to the police quite well. The only problem I had now was the issue of time... and how it was running out.

I stepped to Komi's bedroom door in a rush when she called back to me. I turned to her in annoyance but she ignored it.

"You might enjoy the perks my bedroom in the cabin has to offer."

I rolled my eyes. "Alright..."

"No..." she shouted, causing me to turn to her once more. Her brows raised suggestively, as she tried to relay the severity of her words to me once more. "I said, you might enjoy the _perks_ my bedroom has to offer."

I paused for a moment studying her features and as she smiled, I understood. "Alright... I'll keep that in mind thanks."

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**(Kori Anders' POV)**

I can't help but draw attention to the fact that this moment, everything around me was far too familiar... and I think you know why. I mean, haven't we been through all of this before? The fear, the anticipation, the vulnerability at knowing our biggest enemy was on the loose once again, it was all just too much. And it's not as though I've even had time to recover from the last time something like this had happened. It had been less than a week since Mr. Roth first reentered our lives and only a few days since he last tried to attack me. I had this numbing sensation in my brain, but, could I really classify it as numbness? I don't know, it was far more unexplainable then I can even begin to comprehend myself. While it made most of my body respond in numb motions, as if everything around me was happening slowly and yet as if they had already happened before. It was eerie to be in a place in my life so submerged in the idea of déjà vu. I felt as though I had no control of what was happening around me. I don't know, I suppose I just felt this intense amount of anxiety rippling through my veins in an undying force, and no matter how much I tried to ignore it... it was there, constantly.

I couldn't explain it... I was completely consumed by fears that weren't necessarily anything to be scared of. I found fear in everything. I was hoping the cabin in Oregon would serve as the perfect distraction from the obvious fact that Mr. Roth was on the loose again. I mean, how is this even possible? I can't help thinking this was all just a bad dream that I had yet to wake up from, which I knew wasn't true, no, because my dreams were much darker than this and at least by now, if it were in fact a dream, I'd already be dead. I'm pleased at least to say that I hadn't suffered any hallucinations lately and that my sleeping was becoming more useful. That's not to say that I didn't have the terrors overcome my dreams, altering them into nightmares, no, they were still there, just a little less aggressive since I personally decided to raise my intake of sleeping pills. It sounds dramatic but since I had been taking them my mind was slightly clearer and the amount of sleep I was able to get before the nightmares would wake me, was helping a lot.

We had been on the plane to Oregon for two hours before arriving. I felt bad though because Dick had hardly been able to sleep since I came back with him to the hotel in California and the entire plane ride he had finally taken to opportunity to catch up on his rest. Sure, I knew he was forcing himself, denying himself sleep in any normal occasion but now that he was certain there was nowhere for me to run or to be found, that I would remain buckled in the seat next to him, his mind had finally calmed and allowed him sleep. I wished he would stop worrying though, not because I needed him any less but because it was wearing him down. He hadn't left my side for more than the time it takes to make a quick bathroom break and when he was around me he had this constant hold on me. I'm not saying I wasn't comfortable with it, of course I was, I had never felt closer with him. The only problem was that I couldn't shift in my seat or use the restroom without him tightening his grip on me. It was as if, in his mind, if he let me go I would vanish, and to be honest I felt that way sometimes myself. And it may sound a little much, but for me it was nothing short of adorable. To know that he cared so much for me, put so much effort forward to ensure that I was ok... it was beautiful.

After an hour drive from the airport to the actual cabin my family owned, we had all finally begun to relax. We sat within the large living room, huddled beneath our own blankets, Vic sparking a fire while Gar served each of us a freshly made cup of coffee. We sat for a long while trying to avoid the fear each of us had at today's sudden turn of events, and for me, while I still was very much afraid I felt somewhat at ease to be away from California, at least for the present moment.

"Well..." Dick's voice sounded in an attempt to hide his obvious, well obvious to me, amount of stress he was under with Mr. Roth on the loose. He looked to me, sending a kiss to my cheek, his arm tightening around my waist as he drew me closer. "... how about a movie?"

Rachel sighed, her disinterest in the plan becoming quite apparent to all of us. She stood. "If you're all going to lay back and zone out into a movie then I'm not going to feel bad in catching up on some sleep."

"Are you sure?" Gar said.

Rachel paused, raising a brow at him. "Yes... I am... so don't get any ideas like before and come and try to wake me up with some lame excuse." I smiled up at her as she glanced over at me, her previous display of irritation for Gar wavering, a comforting smile dancing across her lips now. "I'll see you in the morning, Kor. If you need anything..."

"Don't worry." I smiled even brighter now. "Get some rest, you look tired." I leaned back into Dick's arms and sighed, my eyes wandering over the cozy surroundings. "This was a great idea Rae."

"Alright... how about a horror flick?" Gar suggested as Rachel vanished into the hallway.

"Really... you really think a horror film is appropriate?" Dick said, directing a glare at Gar and motioning to me slightly.

His eyes flickered to mine nervously. "Right... uh..."

"How about an action film?" Dick offered. "Nothing can go wrong there."

I looked up at him, his smile so charming in this moment. "Or... how about we play it safe and keep it a comedy?"

Everyone looked to me and quickly agreed. I hated that they were all so concerned with upsetting me or making me feel slightly uneasy or unsatisfied or...

Sorry, this keeps happening and as much as I try to ignore it, I can't. Ever so often when I can start to feel my medication wearing off, my darker thoughts which had previously fallen numb to action, were beginning to spark in me again. I had quickly learned that it was the same nauseous feeling that overcame me each time. I would brush off the emotion at first but it would only sharpen. In any normal occasion I would simply tug on Richard's hand and pull him away from the group and quickly take my medication but we were in the middle of a movie now. It was already late in the day, the sun already on its descent, and I was feeling otherwise comfortable and cozy in Dick's arms so I did something I probably shouldn't have... I dismissed the medication, for now. I knew once the movie was over, especially after out long and emotional day that we would all retreat to our rooms for the night and I was content with waiting until then to take it, not thinking too much about it.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

I awoke in a panic, the intense sensation of strangulation suffocating my every nerve. As my eyes settled over the dark room I remained in I realized the only break within the silence was my struggle to calm the frantic breathing that scraped back and forth in my lungs. The terror I was experiencing in the nightmare I had was far to real for me to be so easily calmed and yet the moment my brain came to the realization that Dick was still asleep beside me, that seemed to do the trick. I was thoroughly surprised my gasp of air as I awoke so suddenly had not made him alert. I felt myself smile at his dimly moon lit features. He was so amazing in his sleep, his dreary eyes and wandering mind had finally come to a halt giving way to a world of dreams, he seemed nothing short of peaceful.

I swallowed hard then wiping at the bead of sweat which had developed across my forehead I carefully lifted myself from the bed and slipped the large boots beside me over my feet, my spinning mind guiding me into the attached bathroom to my right. As I entered I shut the door behind me and allowed myself time to bask in the cool chill of the night as the icy stone tiled floor lingered below me. I took a deep inhale of breath, my body beginning to relax slightly.

"It was just a dream." I whispered breathlessly to myself as I stepped toward the sink.

Turning the sink on slowly, I paused ... my mind which had just began to cool off was now spiraling in a queasy feeling. Clearing my throat I dismissed the emotion and leaned my upper body over the sink, dousing my face with a wave of water. The cold water instantly desisting the heated feeling over my forehead. Gripping a small white towel on the counter beside the sink I dabbed it across my face, leaving it slightly damp. Then there it was again. It rose in me like a undefinable sensation of fear, fear of what? I don't know but it made me uneasy. This was the feeling I would get whenever the hallucinations would begin and it was starting to frighten me. Whenever these visions occurred I felt unlike myself, unable to stop them, unable to even understand them and yet they continued in a relentless surge through my body, through my sight.

I braced my palms down upon the sink, my shoulders slouching forward in an attempt to calm my breathing which had begun to pick up again. My eyes flickered to the small prescription bottle of pills Dick had retrieved from the hospital for me, the realization finally hitting me that I had forgotten to actually take them before I fell asleep. I tried my hardest to ignore the shivering that invaded my body, which was denying my own ability to remain still, remain unshaken in this moment and it only seemed to worsen by the second. My tremors had begun again in my hands and I suffered through my inability to be patient in a moment like this. My hands tightened around the medication bottle trying to pull the lid free, a simple task and yet I was struggling, my mind clouding further beneath a veil of confusion. The urge to vomit was heightening within me and I felt the sharpest sensation that I might pass out.

As I finally ripped the lid free I shook two pills from its contents and forced them into my mouth, lowering myself to the sink once more as I partook of a mouthful of water to down the pills. My mind was receding into the darker sections of my thoughts once again and I was doing everything I could to escape the path it was on. I reminded myself of my friends, the fun we had all shared in today, the fact that Richard had become even more of a strength of mine, the fact that I was out of Jump City, the fact that...

"Fuck!" I shouted to myself through gritted teeth.

No matter what I tried it was as if my mind was stronger than my own ability to wield it. I was in a rising battle against myself. I had no control over this moment, my mind taking on a confusingly 'mind' of its own, I don't even know if that makes sense but this is what was happening. I could feel the shaking of my limbs becoming more frantic, more intense as I looked up to my reflection in the stationary mirror before me which hung over the sink counter. I watched as my eyes widened, I couldn't explain it. I mean, it was me, my reflection, and yet it wasn't. It was ... changing, right before my eyes. I knew it wasn't real, I knew I must have been hallucinating, and yet this undeniable truth did not fade the altering image staring back at me.

I shook my head in an attempt to snap my mind back to reality but it was to no avail. My reflection was molding into a different version of myself and what was even more frightening was that I knew the consistent expression on my actual face had not changed, even as my reflection taunted back at me. My eyes were narrowed the entire time moving closer to the mirror, never feeling more insane in my entire life. The mirrored image of me sparked a demented light behind my eyes which I never thought capable of conjuring on my own. It was as if death was staring back at me, as if, if I had died that night this is what would have remained of myself. Dark circles hung below bloodshot eyes, even the usual green tint of my eyes had darkened into a sea of forest green shadows, my brows hovering over a cold unflinching gaze . My lips were chapped, faded along with the unusual hue of my skin which had receded into a pale, hollow sunk in form. It felt like a scene from a horror film. I could feel my breathing run scarce even further, and yet my reflection remained dark and unblinking, the sight beginning to frighten me more now and yet I couldn't look away. The lights in the bathroom, which I knew were in reality unchanging seemed to flicker and as the mirrored image curved at the lips in a devious smirk slowly I felt my body lung back against the wall in fear. The numbness that once consumed me had faded and I lowered myself back against the wall and onto the floor, my head in my hands.

I could feel tears streaming down my face mercilessly but I made no noise. I was determined to rid myself of this feeling, this consuming emotion that had refused to subside. Then it happened... you know, a moment when something occurs before you and you know it's probably not really there and yet you follow it anyway. I realize I keep drawing attention to the fact that this whole moment felt like a movie but its true. It felt like an outer body experience. My logic, _everything_ screamed what I was seeing wasn't real that it wasn't anything aside from my own demented thoughts, and it was as if while I was pleading with myself to return to Dick and attempt another round of haunting nightmares in comparison to what I was doing at this moment... I couldn't stop it. I had stood to flee from the bathroom when I noticed a small dark crow perched on the towel rack on the wall behind me in the reflecting mirror. My eyes narrowed and as I turned to the towel rack there was nothing there, but back to the mirror again... it was. An estranged emotion developed over me as I leaned toward the mirror, extending a hand to the nonexistent blackbird and it shifted, fluttering its wings until it repositioned itself away from my approaching hand. I froze... it was as if it was trying to evade my touch, it didn't make any sense. I was so confused as the image of the bird in the mirror faded into nothing but the plain wall behind it, and even more in shock as I turned away from the mirror once more, finding the bird staring back at me now, its small body fluttering before my vision. I jumped, a hand striking against my chest as I tried to quiet my outburst of fear. I was crazy right? That's what this is? This is what it must feel like? I'm just going crazy, I've lost my mind? ... there's no doubt now, I was.

What happened next ignited a hurricane of conflicted thoughts and emotions that swept crossed my mind. The crow took flight out of the bathroom and as my body responded in following after it, I couldn't stop myself. My legs felt numb to my control and I knew I shouldn't be following it but it was as if I was in some sort of trance. My body continued out of the bedroom being drawn to the creature as I followed the demonic red eyes of the black bird as it hopped down the hallway. I shook my head, my eyes blinking feverishly as it suddenly vanished, leaving me standing outside Rachel's room alone and unaware of even why I was here. Again, my body continued to move without my permission, entering Rachel's room. As I noticed it empty it was now that I became myself again. I stared down at her untouched bed and sighed. I wasn't sure what was going on, where she could be at this hour, or why I still remained in her room in the first place but as I swallowed hard, turning to go back to Dick's bedroom my eyes froze over a large painting which took over most of the wall it was stationed upon. The image that stared back at me was the same dark crow, its red eyes wide and its wings stretched out at its sides in mid-flight. I stepped to the picture with the irresistible urge to trace my fingers across the demonic eyes, thinking this must have been why Rachel chose this room. It had always been Komi's choice room whenever we visited here and it screamed both of their dark personalities.

As I removed my hand to turn away, I paused. The picture frame had somehow moved toward me at an angle as if on a hinged door frame. I hesitated, passing a glance behind me before pulling the thick golden frame toward me on one side. What I found only made this night ever more strange... a descending set of stairs which stretched off into darkness. I thought about leaving, the sight of this only rising the fear within me but I entered against my better judgement.

I descended the staircase in an unnatural and uncomfortable amount of darkness for a long while before a chilled breeze of air rushed toward me. I narrowed my eyes at the presence of a thin horizontal strip of light, like one behind another door, came into view. I stood now just before a frozen to the touch door, my hand hesitant to reveal what I might find on the other side, but I knew if anything this must be where Rachel was, what else could explain her disappearance?

Shoving the door open a wall of brisk night air charged me. Placing my hands around myself in a hug to keep my unclothed arms warm I stared out at the cold night scenery before me. I wasn't sure what purpose a secret corridor leading out into the night would be necessary for but this is what it was. It was now that I noticed a set of footprints which had begun to slowly wither away at the mercy of the harsh blowing wind. I knelt, lowering a hand to the prints in the thick snow and immediately recognized them as Rachel's signature boots of choice. What could she possibly be doing out here? She was going to make herself gravely ill by exposing herself to the relentless weather around us.

I stood, repositioning my posture before lifting a foot forward, my movements slow at the crunching snow beneath my feet. I followed hesitantly into the night, my skin tightening against the merciless cold. My gaze snapped back and forth at my surroundings, there was still no sign of Rachel but I couldn't help realize how horrifying the towering forest trees blanketed in snow had become from their usual comforting beauty they displayed during the day. The moonlight forced its luminescent glow through the tree branches, icicles reflecting a gloomy view back to me, making the scene become far darker around me. I stepped into a small path within a section of huddled trees glancing down at the footprints wishing they weren't leading me further into the darkness, but I followed as they continued on. My breath was visible now, like a misted fog that hovered over my vision and I could feel my limbs begging me to turn back.

The colors of night sprung to life even further. Black, blues, fogged whites... they all surrounded me, the mood around me becoming eerie. The only sound was that of my heavy breathing and the crunching of my uneven footing as I forced myself through the snow. Then, just as I was beginning to feel as though someone was following me, a small dark plank of wood upon the floor, where the footprints came to a halt, came into view. It was off the beaten path slightly to my left but I knew this is where Rachel must have been. And this is what I mean about the whole 'scary movie' scene I was living in. Logically I was telling myself not to proceed, to turn back, to question Rachel tomorrow about all this because this definitely did not seem normal, but again... I went anyway.

I knelt before the wooden plank, dusting off a large amount of snow which clamped tightly over a metal handle and I pulled the wood which was obvious to me now was a door, and I paused staring down into a dimly lit room. I looked back behind me hoping someone would be there to stop me, that Rachel would appear and return back to the house with me, but it didn't happen. Bracing my hands against the top of the wooden frame I nervously fixed a foot down on one of the cobblestone steps, losing my balance and falling at the charge of a group of bats that fled from the room. I sat, sore and irritated at the bottom of the small staircase and I stood immediately at the realization of a shadowed flicker of a lit candle against the wall. Inhaling deeply I brushed off the small amount of snow against my legs from my fall and moved deeper into the room, my fear sparking at an increased alarming rate. There was a familiar stench in the air and I knew it wasn't Rachel.

"Rachel?" My shaky voice called out to her.

No answer.

I rubbed my hands together sending a warm breath against them to return some of the feeling in them. My eyes widened and I came to a pause noticing a black crow perched on a pile of wood in one of the corners. Its head tilted back and forth from side to side at me but it didn't move aside from that. Anxiety was all I felt now, it was as if I was walking to my death, that was the only way to describe the emotion I was drowning in now, and yet, like the genius I am... I kept going. I kept telling myself I was only here to find Rachel, to bring her back with me so I could sleep knowing she was ok, but then another reel of thoughts came rushing across my mind. I fought off the urgency of a possibility that Mr. Roth had come after her and I would be the only help she had by seeking her out like I had. Then it happened, I peeked around one last corner, my eyes becoming aware of a larger room.

A small, somewhat crazed laugh surfaced from me as I stared back at Mr. Roth, his drained body shackled back against one of the cobble stone walls. There was no way this was real, the hallucinations I was seeing had obviously taken a pause from me and were now taking the form of my greatest fear. My laughter fell silent as his figure moved slightly. Unwilling to stop myself I stepped toward him. Why? I don't know. Maybe it was because this vision of him was shackled and that gave me piece of mind that he could not attack me, or maybe because I needed to clarify that the sight of him wasn't real... again, I don't know.

I glanced around the room quickly in search of Rachel but she was nowhere to be found. The tightness in my chest as I returned my attention back to Mr. Roth's figure heightened. I slowly extended a shaky hand out to him. If I try to touch him the hallucination would fade... right?

Wrong! As my hand jabbed at his shoulder his body awoke in a frenzy of growls. His burning black coaled eyes flared against my presence which had lept back against the floor. I released a blood curdling scream which echoed off the small rooms' walls as I fell back against the hard floor, scraping and pulling myself away from his glare. I thrust myself back against the wall opposite him in a wave of emotion. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak, I couldn't do anything but cry against the tremors which consumed me now.

I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't believe that he was real, that he was right here in front of me. He had to be a hallucination, he _had_ to be.

"Kori!" I heard Rachel's voice sound in a scream.

My eyes snapped to hers, my words barely understandable through my weeping. "What... How... fuck... Rachel what is this?"

I could not comprehend the amount of calm she remained in as she sent a quick glance to her father who struggled against his shackles now. She inhaled deeply, stepping in front of my view of MR. Roth, and knelt before me. "It's alright Kori."

I shook my head, the amount of tears flooding from my eyes were almost too painful to speak. "I... how could you..." I released a loud whimper. "... this isn't real. Tell me this isn't real." My brows burrowed further. "He isn't here. I'm seeing things again right... right?"

My head gave wave, falling into my hands as I wept harder at her response.

"I can't explain right now. I'm going to fix everything Kori. You'll never have to see him again. You weren't suppose to see him now."

I shoved her back then stood, my body leaned back against the wall for support. "How could you... how ... why did you do this?"

She stepped closer to me, a hand upon my shoulder. "I'm going to end it all. All of it Kori."

"How am I ,... how do you expect me to..."

"You can't say a word to anyone."

I shook my head. "The cops... you lied to them. It _was_ you who took him from the hospital... wasn't it?"

"No I didn't... but, as I said before I can't explain right now. You need to go back to the house and..."

"How? How can I walk away from this unaffected? That son of a bitch scarred me enough as it is... now this?" I inhaled deeply, the straining whine of my voice sharpening in pain. "What if he... he could have escaped, killed all of us in our sleep..."

"No..." She said with a large amount of confidence. "I've kept him heavily sedated up until I can figure out what my plan is."

I couldn't handle this anymore, my body was beginning to convulse in a sharp amount of heaving. I ran from the room entering out into the frozen night again, falling to my knees in the bed of frost beneath me, my body giving way to the rising fluid in my lungs. I didn't throw up much because I hadn't eaten a lot today, so my body was mostly dry heaving in a painful attempt to discard every amount of pain I was in. I moved slightly out of the path of my vomit and remained bent forward against my knees, my hands bawled into fists against the ground, my chest heaving, and my eyes pouring tears into the snow below me. Even as Rachel came after me I refused to move. I could hear the echo of my cries carry on with the wind around us but I didn't care who heard or who would find us. I couldn't contain the amount of agony I was in... it was gut wrenching and I felt like I would not survive the morning with the amount of emotion that stung at my being as of right now. I was mortified.

I shoved an arm at Rachel as she knelt beside me, trying to console me. She stood on her feet now, her voice raised. "Don't be like this Kori. You're going to ruin everything. Can't you see I'm doing this for you?"

My heart jolted in anger at her comment. Standing now, I fought back my tears, ignoring the cold of the night and I approached her with a glare. "Fuck you. How dare you try to put his on me."

"Kori... I..."

"No!" I yelled shoving her as hard as I could back. I could tell she was becoming angry with me even more so now, but I didn't care of the consequences. She tried to brush off my act of anger toward her but I kept going. I stepped closer to her, shoving her back again, then again. "I hate you. How could you put me through this? How could you bring him here?"

"Stop!" She yelled back at me, taking a shove at me now. She waved a finger at me in warning. "Shut the fuck up or someones going to hear you."

My mind snapped now, and I don't even understand why I couldn't hold back the intense amount of anger I felt, it was almost as if I had blacked out in a rage. Sure this was a tense situation but I would never want to truly hurt Rachel, and yet I did...

I stepped to her in an aggressive manner, no words necessary to relay the message I wanted sent. I brought an open hand across her left cheek slapping her hard, her body stumbling back more in shock then in response to the slight amount of pain from my contact.

"Don't do this Kori. I have no patience for you right now. I'm not your enemy... he is."

"Patience? For me?" I laughed. I could feel my blood boiling against the frozen wonderland around us. I laughed once more as she turned away, my tongue striking words I didn't actually mean, nor did I believe. "Fuck you Rachel. You can't change what he's done, everything that's happened up until now is your fault." A rise of satisfaction set over me now as she paused, her back still facing me. "You and your pathetic excuse for logic has caused all of this. Not going to the police in the first place when he first escaped, not being prepared when he attacked, letting him live the night he tried to kill me and Terra..." I shook my head, the tears still flowing. "... and now this... you're practically giving him his freedom. All it would take is him escaping and he'd win this game he's playing with all of us. This is the most careless thing you've ever done."

She shook her head, a hand fixed upon the jaw I had struck. "I'm not asking for your approval in any of this. It's already done, I'm already..."

"What? What Rachel? You're already doing what? ... you plan on killing him?" I laughed again. "Can't you realize you're more like him in this moment then you've ever been?"

"Take that back!" She shouted teeth clenched, but I couldn't I was far too over the edge to be brought back now.

"Why? Does it scare you to think that I'm right? That you're..."

At this her pale figure turned to me, her eyes red with anger as she lunged at me. My body was immune to any pain she could inflict upon me and it was obvious by the amount of anger she was in that her body was responding the same way. I felt her thin body collide with mine with immense force, sending both of us to the floor now, me on my back fighting off the wrath of her fists as they pummeled down at me, and her hovering over me attacking me in this helpless position. As her fist connected with my jaw I raised a hand to the side of her face, using all my strength to push her off of me and onto her side. With my body free to movement once again and the presence of her left hand which gripped at my shirt trying to pull me down I pressed the hand against her face harder, burying it in a layer of snow. Before I could react I came face to face with the bottom of her boot as it struck me against the chest, sending me to fall back a few feet from her. We were both standing now, leaving no amount of hesitation before we lunged at each other again. She came toward me with a mean right hook that, to my surprise, I managed to evade and got the second good strike to her face. I heard a small crack within her jaw at the connection of my fist to her, but it didn't make me pause in concern for her pain, and it only fed her anger. This was the moment I hated my long hair, I felt her hand grip within my long locks and pull my head toward her as her knee met my stomach, knocking the wind right out of me. I'm not sure how, but as I curled over in pain, my mind flashed quiet for a moment, a slight pain erupting on my shoulder and then an intense amount of pressure on my back as I found myself shoved back against one of the thick tree trunks, a rainfall of snow escaping the branches over head down upon us as we continued the exchange of aggression with one another. It was at this point that I blacked out, I could feel each of us still clawing and punching at each other relentlessly, and the truth was the anger we felt in this moment was intense, especially considering the situation we were in the middle of, and while I wasn't sure how long this fight would go, I was ready to keep fighting until one of us was victorious. Which... that feeling, that hate I felt for her in this moment, I think you would agree... it wasn't me. I would never hurt Rachel, ever. Now if only I knew what was really wrong with me, or at least if I could stop myself in this situation.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

I shifted in my sleep as an undefined noise traveled to my ears. I was dreaming of current situation we were all faced with, most importantly Kori. This was something that wasn't suppose to happen. This was a time in our life that everything had just gone from bad to worse over night. It was hard enough to imagine how Mr. Roth had managed to escape the hospital but what was even worse was the toll it was taking on all of us. My main concern was Kori, she had spent the morning in tears, her fear of the possibility that Mr. Roth would seek her, or any of us out, to finish what he started was tearing her down. And it was killing me that I couldn't make her feel safe. As it were, before the events of his disappearance were announced I was with Kori constantly, not wanting to be away from her for even a second, and yet, now I felt as though I was suffocating her by my presence. I was certain she would have appreciated a moment to herself to think, but I just couldn't give her that. I was only satisfied with her safety when she was in my arms and that's the way I planned to keep it.

"Dick! Wake up!" A loud yell from Gar as he burst into my room sounded, making me becoming alert immediately.

I turned to my side and finding Kori gone I leapt from my bed, Gar following me now as I entered the hallway in a panic.

"I can't find Rachel." Gar said.

"Where's Kori?" I growled. "They're probably together but still she shouldn't have..."

I paused as Gar and I came into the living room finding a frantic Vic stumbling and trying to force a pair of large boots onto his feet. "Your fucking right they're together. You can't hear them beating the shit out of each other?"

My eyes widened, pulling a pair of my boots on quickly and stepping out into the chilled night. I could hear the shouting and fighting now in the distance on the far side of the house. I ran as fast as I could, Gar and Vic right beside me as we raced around the side of the house. The voices and screams of violence coming from Kori and Rachel were still at a short distance, their bodies still out of visual. When we finally reached them we found Kori shove Rachel back against one of the thick trees mercilessly, and Rachel lunging at Kori again, her nails digging into the side of Kori's neck. Both were covered in each others blood, the sight alone frightening me. What was happening to them?

I immediately leapt at Kori pulling her away from Rachel who instinctively tried to take advantage of Kori being held back and lunged toward both of us. Before she could successfully charge at Kori again, Vic had pulled her into his grasp off of the ground holding her at bay. As he and Gar dealt with Rachel, I turned my attention back down at Kori as she fought against my hold on her.

"Let me go dammit!" She yelled, her voice rasped and angry in a frequency I had never heard from her.

I positioned her back on the ground, forcing her to face me now. I shook her shoulders slightly trying to get her to see past her red glare which focused on Rachel still. "Stop! Stop!" I inhaled deeply as she looked up at me now in a glare. "What the fuck do you think you two are doing? Why are you even out here?"

She ignored me looking back at Rachel who struggled in Vic's arms. "I'll fucking kill you, bitch!"

Lifting Kori into my arms again I pulled her out of Rachel's view and released her once more, my voice raised. "What the hell is wrong with you Kori?"

She lifted her arms, shoving me back. "Fuck you Richard." Her breath heaved at me as she wiped a hand across her bloodstained mouth. She released a growl into the air. "I can't fucking do this anymore. I can't be around her. She..."

I stepped to her, trying to ignore the hurt her words and behavior had put me in and I put my hands on either side of her face, holding her still against my gaze. "You don't mean that. Kor... this is Rachel... one of your closest friends. This isn't you... this... this is _not_ who you are. You love Rachel."

My mind-set into further concern as her eyes widened over mine, tears beginning to flow, her entire demeanor softening, and receding into regret. It was as if she had been possessed by something, her anger not really meant to exceed the lengths it had.

"I ... I don't... I..." She shook her head staring down at the blood on her hands now. "I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... I just... I..." She paused staring up at me now horrified at the acts she had committed as if I was judging her. And in truth I was, just not in the way she assumed. I was concerned not indignant to her. She slowly backed away from me toward the house. Her tears consuming her now. "I just... tell her I'm sorry. I don't... I didn't mean to. I just..."

As she broke into a run back toward the house I followed closely behind her. I didn't understand what was happening with her but I knew she couldn't be alone. I was actually afraid she might try to hurt herself. I knew whatever was happening to her, whatever she was going through had caused her to lash out at Rachel violently and I knew she would hate herself for what she had done.

"Kori." I said breathlessly as she entered our room now, her body shaking uncontrollably.

She rushed into the bathroom and knelt before the bathtub, sparking the faucet to life immediately. I stood, horrified at her appearance and trying to figure out how to help her let alone react to this behavior. Her fidgeting hands positioned themselves under the flowing water, her fingers scraping at the blood which stained her skin. Her weeping became heavier now and it was as if she couldn't hear me calling her name, she was so consumed in the red liquid that taunted back at her vision. It was a disturbing sight to see her clawing at her own skin now as if she was immune to any amount of pain.

Inhaling deeply I lowered myself beside her and took her hands into mine finally resulting in her acknowledging my presence. The pain in her eyes tore at my composure but I had to remain calm and comforting to her in this moment, at least until I understood what was going on with her.

With a small sniffle she looked up at me. "There's so much blood." She shook her head, her brows burrowing even further. "I don't... I can't get it off. It wont..'

"Shhh..." I said calmly, puling her head into my chest and caressing a hand through her hair. "Its alright Kori. Its alright."

"I didn't mean to hurt her. I would never hurt her. I just... I wouldn't..." She cried, looking up at me as if to convince me.

I nodded. "I know. Its alright. Whatever your going through,... I'm here. I'm right here and we'll figure it out together." I fixed a hand against her cheek with a warm smile. "I promise, everything will get better. I'll do everything I can."

It was now that her voice fell silent, releasing nothing more than cries into my shoulder, her body convulsing in my arms as she fell prey to incessant heaving of stressed breath. I lost control in this moment. Seeing her in so much pain was causing an intense frequency of emotion through me that I found almost unbearable. The most important aspect of my life was suffering and I felt completely helpless. I could hear her muffled voice reach out to me and what I heard her say only made this scenario harder.

"Make it go away... just make it stop. I can't make it go away. I can't take it anymore..." She pounded a closed fist softly against my chest. "I'm just so tired, I can't... I just can't..."

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It was several hours later and Kori was finally asleep. I had managed to calm her weeping long enough to get her all cleaned up and situated in my arms until her exhaustion from constant crying finally gave way to a deep sleep. My mind in this moment was scattered. I didn't know what to do to help her, how to make her feel better and it was unnerving. I needed to be the one to fix things, she expected it from me, she looked to me for relief from this and I was at a loss. There was nothing on my mind other than finding a way to help her through this... but how?

I fell from my thoughts at a soft knock against the door. I looked down at Kori who remained unaffected my the know and I slowly resituated her upon the bed and made my way to the door.

"What?" I whispered back at Gar who stared up at me with a stressful sigh.

"I'm just checking on you and Kori."

I nodded. "She's finally asleep." I hesitated. "How's Rachel?"

He shook his head nervously. "I don't know man. What ever happened between them ... I just.. I don't get it. Why would they lash out at each other?"

I sighed, leaning my weight against the door frame, hesitant to respond.

"I think..." I looked to him as he continued. It was far too obvious that he was unsure of what would happen should he continue with his words.

My eyes narrowed, suddenly curious. "What? Tell me?" He hesitated. "Gar if you know something..."

"Alright... fine... but, I don't know really how much I actually know."

I felt anger rise in me now. IN a situation such as this no one should be keeping secrets, especially when Rachel and Kori were trying to bounce back from their attack against Mr. Roth. I stepped into the hallway with him and quickly found Vic, asking him to keep an eye on Kori until I returned. Then, once I was certain Kori was under watch I followed Gar as he led me to Rachel's room. It shocked me to find Rachel had not cleaned her appearance up. She remained coated in blood upon her clothes and the few open wounds upon her mouth and brows.

She was pacing, her furious glare snapping to me. "Why is he here?"

I sighed. "I'm just here to help."

Her eyes widened over Gar now and it rose suspicion in me. "Help with what exactly?"

Gar shook his head taking a step back. "I haven't said anything..." I raised a brow at Rachel as I noticed her composure relax now, then reignite in anger as Gar continued. "...until now."

Rachel stepped toward Gar, her eyes wide but before she could reach him I stepped in front of her, separating the two. She looked up at me now, her teeth grinding in an attempt to suppress the frustration she felt. "Move."

"No, I need to know what the hell is going on around here. What would cause you and Kori to attack each other like that?"

She stepped back, pulling the hood off of her head and sighing heavily. "It was a misunderstanding. Everything's fine now."

As she sparked a cigarette I passed a nervous glance back to Gar who in response shrugged his shoulders at me. "Rachel... that didn't look like a mere misunderstanding. I know that you and Kori are having a difficult time adapting to ..."

"Fuck you Dick... you don't understand shit so don't stand there and act like..."

I was angry now, my voice raised at her nerve to expect the worst in me. I stepped to her, her responding in a slight chuckle. "Enough Rachel... _what_ happened?"

"Your girlfriend wouldn't listen... so I did what ever it would take to silence her." She replied as she blew a cloud of smoke at me, her demeanor glazed over in carelessness.

Waving a hand in front of me to cast the smoke away, I shook my head. "I don't believe that. What were you two doing out there in the middle of the night?"

"I think I might have a clue." Gar said weakly.

"Shut it Gar!" Rachel snapped.

It was now that Gar surprised me. He hesitated for a moment, contemplating his thoughts then he raised his chest confidently and took one step toward Rachel and I. "No... I wont Rachel, not anymore. We're all involved in this now."

"Just tell me what the fuck is going on."

I raised a brow as Rachel smiled back at Gar, her tone of voice finding a more humor induced tone. "Go on Gar, tell him." She paused to take another puff of her cigarette. "Tell him and you can be responsible when he deals with the task on his own merely out of pure hatred and defense trying to protect Kori."

i turned to Gar. "What is she talking about?" Gar swallowed hard, glancing back and forth between Rachel and I. "Ignore her... just tell me."

"Uhh, look,... all I know is that Rachel had something to do with Mr. Roth's disappearance from the hospital."

My eyes widened over Rachel's smirk now. "Are you fucking crazy? Whats gotten into you? How could you..."

"I was gonna kill him too." She said with a sick, pleased smile.

"Was?" Gar asked in confusion.

Extinguishing her cigarette Rachel slouched down into a seat beside her, burying her head into her hands. "I just... Kori was right. I ... I had every amount of confidence possible gathered together in preparation for the task, there was no doubt in my mind that I would enjoy his death, lather his blood in my hands with satisfaction... but... after Kori said what she said, I cant help but feel she's right. Maybe... maybe this isn't what I want in the end."

Despite the anger I felt in this moment I tried to calm my breathing long enough to get the full story from Rachel. I knelt in front of her only after noticing her eyes glistening, fighting back tears. "Where is he Rachel?" As she looked to me I felt my body go numb. "He's here isn't he?" As she nodded I jumped to my feet and began pacing back and forth in the room now trying to come to terms with all of this. I shook my head. "So this... this is why Kori is so frightened? ... this is why she attacked you? ... She found him didn't she?"

"Yes."

At her words which delivered themselves to me so carelessly I stepped to her in a rage. I grabbed her by the shoulders shoving her back against the wall situated behind her chair. "How could you put her through this? How could risk her finding out... being in that situation of having to face him again? You know what she's been through... you..."

"Dick let her go!" Gar shouted, pulling back against my right shoulder.

I inhaled deeply focusing my glare on Rachel's for a brief moment then I stepped back. My hands rest over my head now as I tried to adjust to this new information. The amount of fear Kori must have felt, the anger she resulted to, everything made sense now. I had never been so upset with Rachel in my entire life and it was because she had hurt Kori. I knew Kori would be mortified by this night for more than one reason. Whether it be fighting Rachel or her stumbling across Mr. Roth somewhere on this property... it would haunt her.

"Where is he?" I asked, trying my hardest to bite back the rage I felt.

She stood, shaking her head. "I don't think that's such a good idea... especially not in your mood."

"He shouldn't be here in the first place Rachel, now where is he?"

Gar remained silent as she and I continued back and forth now.

"I had no choice. I had to bring him here. If I escaped with him anywhere else the police would be on my tail. They're already suspicious of me."

I laughed, unamused by her explanation. "As well they should be. Unfortunately you've just brought all of us in on this. Now, where is he?"

"You don't need to know, the less information you have..."

"Where?" I asked teeth clenched. "Rachel if you kill him, you're guaranteeing all of a long time in prison."

"I'm not going through with it alright. So..."

"Where? I wont ask again."

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We stepped out into the cold night, not much further from where we had found Rachel and Kori fighting. Rachel led us to a small wooden cellar type room hidden within the trees and as my eyes rest on Mr. Roth's shackled body something felt wrong. Maybe it was the way his body was situated in an unnatural manner, but there was definitely something off about him.

I knelt beside him cautiously and placed two fingers against his neck, his body unmoving against my touch. My body quickly became uneasy as the two began to bicker beside me.

"How could you bring him here? You made us all believe that you suggested coming here because you were concerned for Kori." Gar shouted at Rachel. "How... you lied to me. You said.."

"I didn't know where he was at the time you asked me. I had help on this, I wasn't alone. I would never lie to you Gar."

"So you were actually going to kill him? With all of us here? What was the plan Rachel? How could this not have eventually brought all of us in on this. We're all apart of this now, whether you want to admit it or not, or whether we like it or not."

Rachel growled. "I'm not gonna go through with it so you can stop bitching at me. I ... I was keeping him here until I figured out what my plan was but now things have changed. Everything will go back to normal now."

"Normal? Rachel... what is normal anymore? I can't... I can't believe this was ever an option for you..."

I sighed, looking to Rachel as I stood now. "What have you been giving him?"

Their conversation stopped as she looked to me. The expression on my face must have made her suspicious for her eyes narrowed. "A mild sedative... why?"

I ran a hand through my hair, a heavy exhale escaping my lungs. "He's dead."

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**(A/N) Woo hoo, goodbye MR. Roth... trouble in paradise anyone? lol please R/R, Oh and sorry this is updated late, again, but for some reason the server was down or something like that. I don't know it just wouldn't let me access the site so...**

**Oh also, if you felt as though this chapter was moving too quickly, it was meant to be that way so don't worry, next chapter will draw back to this one in more detail. If that's confusing then... I don't know but it _will_ make sense though lol Thanx for reading =]**


	26. Famous Last Words

**(A/N) So, this chapter is also a little on the dark side sooo... please proceed with caution =]**

Chapter Twenty-Six: **Famous Last Words**

**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

She was right. About everything, about him, about me, and more importantly about who I had become. It didn't matter that I had come to my senses. In the end, it wasn't in time. The damage had already been done, my fate sealed to a life of this moments dark recollection. He was dead and I... I felt like I was right beside him. It's one thing to take a life and entirely another to have unmeasurable satisfaction in this persons death. Sure, my father deserved it, but did that mean that I was any less wrong? No, Kori showed me, brought to my attention that I was in fact nothing but the spitting image of my father. I was everything that he was, and what was worse... I hadn't even realized it. I couldn't take back the undeniable happiness and relief that fluttered in my stomach at the sight of his helpless body shackled and dead. Its dark and gruesome, and as disturbing as it sounds it's a moment I've dreamt of since forever, the mere fact that it was as a result of my own hand, ... it only made this all the better.

And yet... it's the precise reason why it also made it worse. Why was I feeling this way? I couldn't ignore the disgusted and repulsive sensation that rose in the pit of my stomach in a conflict of even stronger emotion. I stared back at his motionless body which slouched forward in an awkward state and while I felt satisfaction that he was no more, an even more empowering emotion came over me. Perhaps empowering isn't the correct term for this because it was in no way a positive emotion. I despise emotions all together, consider them weaknesses that left someone vulnerable and nonetheless pathetic, but this one, it burned far too bright to ignore, too bright even for me to handle. I could handle him dead, I could handle the fact that my endless nightmares of him resurfacing from a crowd to come after me were in the past, and I could even handle the reality that even though he was gone he would never really fade from my thoughts. What I couldn't handle was one fact that occurred to me in an epiphany of tragic realization... he was dead because of me. What was worse, this was something I once thought to be a satisfied emotion that would follow this act and it was no more.

Conflict... yet another aspect of my mind which was far more deadly than anything that could ever truly affect me in the real world. To me, my greatest fear was not just my father but the way he molded my brain into working. It fed off the decrepit, thrived off of torment and it was not as though I could control any of it. My mind encompassed some of the darkest memories, thoughts, preconceived deliveries of death, all meant for him as a result of him and as much as it bothers me, it was because of him that I was like this. I would never really admit, out loud anyway, that I was afraid of anything, but now, right now, I was nothing but terrified. Again, this was because of conflict, the conflicted thoughts that swirl in an endless shadowed image of death itself within the confines of my own mind. I couldn't stop myself from thinking that in this moment, the satisfaction I once held by his death could in no way be any different then the thrill that consumed him after killing my mother, and after almost killing Kori. It was nerve-racking, my stomach churned in an unnatural manner. My senses sharpened to everything around me, my mind conspiring against me, trying to absorb every last detail of this scenario inorder for it to be permanently burned into the fragment of my mind, never to be lost, right down to the very stench of death which hung thick in the air around me.

On one hand, as I have already mentioned, I felt a sick amount of satisfaction at the sight of his helpless body but it was only a mere fragment of what really encompassed my thoughts. And in reality this sensation had quickly receded into a more disgusted feeling. I felt unnatural, inhumane, beyond help, beyond anything at this point. And while I don't normally do this, I can't help but ask if this was normal? It couldn't be and while I was never one for acceptance, I know it was this hurricane of emotions which only made me feel ever more hesitant to be myself. I mean, people don't feel accomplished in the situation I was in. I'm certain none of you would. Its completely insane, these emotions belonged to my father, not me, or at least I always thought it was that way. But no, I was feeling this. I was... pleased, and yet this is where the majority of my mind focused on and I found myself crippling at the realization.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... I was no better than him. If not for Kori this fact would have gone unnoticed by me for I don't know how long, but now that she had brought it to my attention, now that it couldn't be changed, how was I suppose to walk away from this impervious, unaffected, unaltered?

The answer... there was no way. I sealed my own fate, my actions obliviously guided by the demented mind of my father, a mind that was slowly becoming mine.

I stared back at him completely speechless. Kori's words rose in an unbearable echoed volume within my mind, and as Dick announced the death of my father my entire body froze. Denial was my first reaction, there was no way my father would be so easily taken out. I had barely given him anything and it was just enough to keep him at bay while I comforted Kori over her discovery of my actions. But even as I knew denial was what this was, I entertained this possibility for a few moments before my brain just... snapped. Something just felt lost within me. I could feel my nerves rattling beneath the surface of my skin, quickly becoming unmanageable. I could tell Dick and Gar were trying to reach me, their words rising in muffled vibrations which went unacknowledged. I could not comprehend a single thing beyond the limits of my own mind. And this, this is where things became too much for me. My eyes remained wide, looking out to my father unblinking and yet I could feel a strange sensation coat over my vision. Suddenly my breath hitched in my throat. I was... crying?

There were no tears that formed quite yet but I could feel them rushing to the back of my eyes mercilessly. I suddenly turned to Dick and Gar with a new-found sense of anger."Get out!"

They looked to me just as upset as I was now. Of course they had every right to be but this wasn't their mistake, it was mine. The last words of my father jabbed at my senses now... 'It was always going to be me or you... choose.'

I stepped to them, shoving at both of them violently. "I said GET OUT!"

They hesitated for a moment then with a few words I did not even try to comprehend they left me to myself. As I heard the wooden door slam shut I turned back to my father his musk scent reaching me. I could feel my body tense up now, tremors overcame me, teasing and taunting me relentlessly beneath my forced composure. I swallowed hard as a single tear escaped me to which I immediately thrust out of existence. I wasn't crying for him, I didn't feel this emotion because of him, no, I felt it because of me, because of what I was, what I had officially labeled myself as. The media, my peers, the world, they all expected something like this from me and as the daughter of Mr. Roth, a well-known murder, I can't help but feel as though I had just fed their every anticipation and perception of who I would inevitably become. No one aside from my friends looked to me as though I was normal and I was fine with that, I just wasn't fine with this. I didn't cry, I didn't whine, I didn't do emotions, that was Kori's thing and yet... here I was consumed in the very emotions in which I loathed.

I had spent these past few restless nights wide awake, my mind dripping black ink over all we are. There will never be sufficient words to encompass the amount of anger, regret, pain,... dare I say fear, that I felt. In reality, to the world, we were just a bunch of stupid kids and we would never been anything other than that. We had been attacked by a very real enemy, and a ruthless one at that, and while the public, media, students who suddenly called themselves our friends and sought us out at the chance of sending their condolences... it was all pissing me off, sinking me deeper into this depression. And in this moment, regardless of our enemy which had been slain, everything that was once occupying my mind heightened. In the end, especially now, especially for me, we weren't just kids, we had lived lives, and continue to lead them, with conviction and strength no one could understand nor compare to. And right now things would only get worse. This situation would either break us or forge an even stronger bond between us. I couldn't ask them to accept what I had done. I didn't want their approval. It didn't matter anyway, what was done was done. The reality of this all suddenly struck me in the chest like lighting. What would be my consequence...? A life of prison? A life in an insane asylum? Either option left me numb mainly because it would be well deserved. There was no way to change this, and the sad part... if I'm being completely honest, a part of me was happy he was dead. As much as it crippled me that I was indeed just like him for having carried out his death, I owed this to Kori, I owed this to my mother, I owed this to myself.

I tried to calm my breathing. It didn't matter that he was dead I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing me this way in his presence. There was clearly something wrong with me and I knew there was no way to fix it, or even if I wanted to at this point. I lingered in a panicked pace back and forth for along while, the only sound was that of my stressed breath as it rasped back and forth from my lungs. If I were to explain the way I looked and acted in this moment it would be no different then someone who had lost their sanity, because in truth that's how I felt.

I shook my head as if to try to rid the thoughts that consumed me but it was no use. This moment, this exact moment would never really vanish. It would never subside in the vivid extremity I felt. I paused suddenly remembering the manila envelope in which Komi had given me and I stepped to it. She had given me two small bags of 'medication'. One meant to be the sedative in which in the end killed my father and the other, she said, was for me, just for a little fun. To treat myself after I had accomplished my goal. I laughed now because things suddenly were different.

I fought against my shaky hands and distributed a good amount of the white powder over the wooden table before me. I knew the relief I would feel in partaking in this drug would only be momentary but I felt as though I needed it. I needed to have time to think, to analyze my current situation in further detail, but more importantly I needed to gather myself together. Composure was the most important aspect to me right now. I didn't need my friends knowing how I felt as a result of my father's death and the toll it was taking on me, I'd much rather have them yelling at me then trying to comfort me. I rolled a dollar bill between my fingers and placed one side to my nose and with one prolonged nasally inhale my mind expanded. The world came to a calm around me, a satisfying vibration settled over me and I shut my eyes to welcome it. A shutter ran through my body and with a mere sniffle I repeated the act once more before I felt my mind fully awaken.

Alert... that's how I felt; an extremely... undeniably, .. unwavering sensation of being alert. My breathing was slowing now and as I ran a finger beneath my nose I turned back to my father. The scene before me seemed humorous now, this alone I knew was in no way normal but I really could care less. I quickly gathered the two small bags and forced them back into the envelope then paused resurfacing the one meant for me and placed it securely in my sweater pocket. Stepping out of the room and to the wooden plank overhead I paused. I felt myself inhale deeply then with a shake of my head I entered out into the cold.

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**(Dick Grayson's POV)**

This was bad, everything had gotten so much worse than I thought possible. This was meant to be a getaway, a weekend away from all the drama and yet it followed us without pause. Now, now Rachel had sealed all of our fates. I can't say that I don't understand why she felt obligated to do what she did and in a perfect world this scenario would have easily played out to perfection. The good guys win and the bad guys are gone forever, but no, she had gone too far now and we all were involved in this. My anger was brimming but I knew in this situation everything had to remain in a constant calm to find a way to fix this, if I could.

My main concern was Kori but this, Mr. Roth dead, it couldn't be ignored.

Gar and I were pacing beside one another when Rachel finally appeared from the hidden room. She was fidgeting incessantly and her eyes remained cold and firm in an emotionless state. I didn't know what she was thinking and I knew Gar didn't either but we had to be delicate with this.

"Lets get out of here." It was all she said before leading us back to the house.

It was an eerie silence that consumed us even as we stepped into the living room. Gar and I came to a halt and observed her as she began to pace slightly, each of us unsure of our next move.

"Rachel..." I said, clearing my throat. She didn't acknowledge me even in the slightest. "Rachel, we need to talk about this. We need..." I fell silent as she continued her pace more frantically now. I looked to Gar and sighed. "Maybe you should try to get through to her. I need to check on Kori."

At the signal of his nod I quickly made my way back to my room. Kori sat up at the edge of the bed in conversation with Vic. While neither one noticed my presence I leaned into the door frame. The mere sound of her shaken voice rose the concern I felt for her even deeper.

"I just... I _can't_ stop seeing them. I don't know what they mean or... or what I'm suppose to do but... they just _wont_ stop. No matter what I do they wont go away."

"Why haven't you discussed this with Dick?"

My brow raised as Kori inhaled deeply. "I just... he's dealing with enough right now. He's constantly worried about me, always concerned with how I'm feeling and I just... I _can't_ tell him this. It would be too much for him. I'm tired of him being upset because of me. I want him to be... happy again. He doesn't sleep right, he hardly eats and..."

I stepped deeper into the room now, my voice reaching out to her calmly. "I am always going to happy when I'm with you Kori."

Both of their bodies jumped at the realization of my presence. Kori looked to me with consumed pain. My heart sunk as she swallowed hard, her eyes lowering to the ground guiltily. I looked to Vic and motioned for him to give Kori and I some time alone and as he left, shutting the door behind him I focused back on Kori.

"I... I just..." she began in a whimper.

I shook my head. "Don't." I lowered myself beside her and placed a hand upon her waist as I drew her closer to me. "Kori... I don't want you concerned with me. Right now, ... this is about you. I know its difficult for you but I just _need_ you to let me be here for you." I raised my hand from her waist to her face, casting a stray lock of hair behind her ear, her gaze locked into mine. "I will _never_ be more happy than when it's just you and me. All I want is to fix this for you... everything. It _will_ get better Kori, it will get easier, but if you don't tell me everything I can't help."

"I just... I don't want what's happening to me to ... to ... change the way you see me. I don't ... I don't feel like I know who I am anymore and..." she paused to shut her eyes as a tear caressed her cheek now. "I just don't know how to get back to who I was." Her petite shoulders arched in a helpless shrug. "How... how do I overcome this? I just feel so lost." She released a small laugh out of embarrassment and continued with an even further shaken voice as her tears became more violent. "I'm... I'm seeing things that aren't there, feeling things I can't control and... I can't make it stop Dick. I can't take the pain. I just want it to go away." I was overwhelmed by her emotions as they poured out before me. Her hands had begun to shake uncontrollably. "I can't close my eyes without seeing him, without him consuming my thoughts, my nightmares... I just... this feels like the end. It feels as though I'm never going to be able to survive this, and seeing him... seeing him again... its like a nightmare that I can't wake up from, and maybe never will."

"I have to tell you something and I... I don't know how you're going to feel about it." As I said this she fell silent. Running a hand through my hair in a moment of hesitancy I forced the words from my mouth. "He's... he's dead."

Her large emerald eyes narrowed. "I just saw him a few hours ago he... he can't be."

I nodded. "He's dead Kori. Believe me."

I remained silent as the realization overcame her. She hesitated then suddenly her body jolted slightly and she slapped a hand over her mouth jumping to her feet and raced toward the bathroom. I followed her quickly, pausing behind her as she leaned over the toilet her body heaving uncontrollably and the only thing that spilled from her mouth was the remnants of her dissolved medication in which she had taken before she slept. I placed a hand against the center of her back gently trying to ease her nerves as I pulled her hair behind her holding it away from her face as she continued to convulse. I knelt beside her, holding her tightly in my arms as she lowered herself to the floor. I was surprised when I noticed her tears had stopped and were replaced with a sense of new-found anger and determination.

"I need to speak with Rachel."

I hesitated, unsure if that was the best option for her right now but quickly obliged as she stood. As we approached the bedroom door we came to a halt at the sound of Rachel and Gar's voices coming toward us. As the door was thrust open Rachel came to a halt before Kori. Both stared at each other for a brief moment in hesitancy. It would be Kori who made the first move.

She lunged toward Rachel, tossing her arms around her tightly and burying her head in Rachel's fragile shoulder, her tears forming again. A small muffled apology being exchanged between them before they separated.

"You were right... about everything and I.. it was too late to ..." Rachel began. I was thoroughly confused and utterly taken back by Rachel's words. They remained emotionless and yet I knew she was attempting to convey some amount of regret in all of this.

"No... I wasn't. Really Rae... you need to understand that I could never truly mean what I said. I was... angry, not even that... I was... I am, I'm not myself." She took a deep inhale then her voice found a more sturdy stream. "But things are different now. It's over."

"No Kori I don't think you understand. I killed him. I..."

"It doesn't matter how he died. In the end... he is, and that's really all that matters."

There was a silence that consumed us now.

An eerie vibe surged through the room at Kori's next words. "Let's go for a drive."

I swallowed hard as everyone, aside from Kori, looked to me for some sort of explanation. The amount of aggression in Kori's voice was one I was not familiar with and while I was almost certain I knew where she was going with this... I needed it confirmed. I presented myself to her side and as my hand greeted hers I called to her. She looked to me and my eyes suddenly drew wide. An uneasy emotion settled over me at the darkness and coldness that hardened over her gaze.

"We take a drive. A long one, and we don't come back until its done... until its finally over."

"Kori..."

It bothered me and I felt somewhat helpless when Kori ignored me completely and stiffened at the sound of Rachel's voice. "This is my fault. No one else. The consequences are my own and I could never ask any of you to..."

"I'm not asking to be apart of this Rachel." Kori began again, her voice sturdy with determination and vengeance. "We are all in this together." Her frantic gaze snapped back and forth over all of us now. "We do this, we make it all go away and we never speak of it again."

"Kori... we need to talk about this before we make any rash decisions." I said.

She glared back at me, turning her body to me with a sense of dominance. "Do you really think I'm going to let Rachel take the fall for this?"

"It is no ones place but my own." Rachel said forcing a comforting smile.

Kori exhaled curtly, looking to Gar and Vic now. "Is this how you two feel as well?" They stared back at her hesitantly, drawing a crazed laugh of disbelief from her. "I can't believe this. You would all have Rachel go to jail for this? If it was anyone... and I mean anyone else, I can understand us not justifying her actions but this... this man was evil. This man..."

"He was a man nonetheless." Gar added. His composure faltered slightly as Rachel looked to him in despair now. She knew he had every right to his opinion, but it didn't mean it hurt her any less. He cleared his throat. "I'm only saying that regardless of what he's done, regardless of what anyone has ever done, any crime and death... I don't think that murdering that person is ... ever... acceptable."

"Gar..." Kori cried, and it was clear to me she had been depending on his love for Rachel to stand beside her on this.

"No. He's right." Rachel added, her voice never more gravelled and monotone, depressed and lifeless then I had ever heard.

"Having said that..." Gar continued. He stepped to Rachel, placing a hand upon her shoulder, peering into her disheveled gaze. "I'm with you..." he shrugged. "... all the way."

I hesitated to add my input as I noticed Rachel inhale deeply. Her gaze had somewhat softened against Gar's. "I don't want any of you to be apart of this."

"Well you should have thought of that before you became friends with us." Vic stated loudly. His confidence bringing Kori further into her scheme. It was now that everyone looked to me. It didn't matter the others were focused on my reaction, no, it was Kori, her glare that had settled over me that mattered. I would never deny her anything, I have said that before and I suppose now is the best time to prove it.

"I still think we should discuss this a little more but..." I hadn't even the chance to tell her I was on her side. That I would do anything she asked of me, before she interrupted in hysterics.

"No!" She somewhat yelled. What hurt more wasn't that she was becoming less of herself or that her previous statement in which she had drawn attention to the fact that she felt lost... no, its wasn't any of that. It was the intense anger she thrust in my direction as she pulled away from me, her glare never taking a pause. She looked to Rachel now. "We're all in this now, and not even now, we've always been. No matter the consequence, no matter the risk, ... " she inhaled deeply. "... no matter the sacrifice..." she looked to me now. "We don't come back until its done."

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**(Kori Anders' POV)**

A long drive, a silent one at that... this is what our lives had become. If there was ever a chance at moving on, or coming to terms with these past few days which had lingered closer to the border of torment... it was this. I could tell everyone was hesitant with me and my distant, cold brush off of behavior, but it didn't matter, not right now. I couldn't take the nightmares, I couldn't stand the medication, nor would I endure the suffering any longer. This was it, it had to end.

The sun had set hours ago, the sound of shovels invading the earth casting away the several feet of snow which blanketed the rich soil beneath, lingering in silence. Silence was something, I was certain would linger for more than just a while. It would forever hold an estranged spark within our hearts which would always remind all of us of this very scenario. I was frightened, fidgeting and cold but we had to keep going. We dug deep, deeper then was probably necessary. The stench of Mr. Roth's chilled body remained close by, each of us trying to stifle the smell without actually drawing attention to it. It was as if we acknowledged it that it would become more real, and if we remained in silence it was more of a haunting nightmare in which no one would speak of and yet never forget.

I knew the consequences of this moment and while there was always the risk of being found out... it was better than the alternative. I had decided the instant Dick informed me of Mr. Roth's death that this was our moment to shine. It sounds ridiculous, but I suppose I was seeing, feeling, all of this in a skewed light, a light I pity to be directed on anyone. In my mind, this was what was right, it was the only solution. Five shovels, five breathing victims, one villain... one grave; an eternal solution.

My hands were frozen just as much as the others were feeling I'm sure but we were too engulfed in our task to be affected by anything else. We worked for a long while chipping away at the frozen ground beneath us, which had quickly begun to surround us. It was now that the silence was broken, if only for a moment.

Dick inhaled deeply, his breath showering me in a cloud of fog as he looked to me. "We're running out of room. Let me and Vic finish."

I could see he was trying to remain strong in this moment and yet the concern and fear that dwelled within his gaze was not immune to my realization. I had been heartless to him, cold, unendearing and I felt obligate to continue this front until this was done. I stared back at him for a moment then gave him a reluctant nod. I turned to my right meeting the wall of black dirt, discolored by the dominating darkness of night and tried to pull myself back to the surface. My body tensed slightly as I felt the presence of Richard behind me, his chilled hands on my waist as he lifted me out of the hole. I turned looking back down to him as I gathered myself onto my feet. The forced, closed mouthed smile he gave me as he handed my shovel back to my possession stung at my heart. I couldn't allow him to see this simple gesture had affected me so I turned away.

Time... yea, time... what of it? I had come to understand, while it never came to an actual halt, had otherwise directed a sick sense of torment in my life when situations such as this arose. It was endless, and yet, just as it should have been. Crossing my arms over my chest I shivered now, the ability to feel anything was a shock to me. What we were doing, what we continued to do... it wasn't normal and it probably wasn't right, but I'd be damned if I let Mr. Roth make Rachel suffer any further. He had clung to our lives with claws of unbreakable darkness and while it would never truly fade, his hold was going to be forced into submission. We were taking back the lives he had stolen, shunning his demented flicker of life that should never have been given existence. Even as my eyes focused on his lifeless body which remained in the snow, covered in a thick blanket, I felt sick. Sick... and yet could not ignore the thrill which seemed to calm my tremors. He deserved this, we all knew it, but because it was us who had to be responsible for it... it was different. It had to be done. So yea, we would accept the task, if only to protect our own, and right now, the overall insanity of our actions was refused its place in my mind. I could suffer through the realization of our actions later, for now it was time to lather our minds, our hearts, our fears in his descent. Now, keep in mind, I am in no way justifying our actions tonight because I know its wrong, but this is the decision we had made, it was the right for us, and the consequences should we be discovered...we would face together.

An hour later... twenty minutes, ... again, who knows and in the end who cares... we were finally done; it was finally over. Five slouching bodies stared down at a thick patch of disturbed snow, what lay beneath, no matter how many feet below view... it would remain there. Its only acknowledgment would be the nightmares which lingered long after.

Frost, thick breath like frost. Silence. Shutters of disdain. Unmentioned grief. Unaltered sturdy complexes. Impeccable ability to conceal emotion. A pause in the world destined and conceived just for us. This is what encompassed the last few moments before we drove away, never to return, never to speak of this place or what occurred. It was an agreement we made, swore by, and that's the way it would remain.

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(A/N) Creepy... lol I'm assuming this is a completely disturbing side of the teen titans and while things will 'sort of' get back to normal, I really wanted something to define their friendship,a scenario that could either make or break them. What better way to prove the strength of their friendship then a completely devastating scenario as this? Well, I enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next so please please... review =]


	27. A Life That's So Demanding

Chapter Twenty-Seven: **A Life That's So Demanding**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

Distant, awkward, estranged... that's how things were. It was understandable, predictable even, and yet it didn't make things any easier to exist in. I wasn't so foolish to believe that any desired expectation I had in hopes for things to go back to the way they once were was anything but absurd. I was well aware that life would forever be changed, how could it not? Our hearts, all of ours, they were tainted in an eternal darkness in consequence to the actions we had carried out. It didn't matter that it was only Rachel who was directly responsible for Mr. Roth's death, in the end we had sealed our fates, each played a part in all the chaos, each guaranteeing a permanent cold force within us that would forever reek of guilt... and the way things were going, it wasn't going to get better any time soon.

Two weeks, since that very dark night in Oregon, that's all it took to get back to 'normal'. Or, actually, that's all it took to perfect this deceiving mask which now overshadowed our hollowed hearts. The media had set a fire under all of our lives since we had returned and all we could do was make the best of it, but that's fine, this was the way our lives had always been. I think the hardest part of all of this was the segment of our lives were nonetheless dark, our emotions scattered, our guilt and fear of being found out... it played a part in our everyday life now. Which, of course as I said, was expected.

From the moment our feet hit California soil we were thrust back into our lives of glamour and forced smiles, blinding lights, and burning eyes of deceptive judgement. Theories of our getaway, shallow sympathy exerted upon us only in hopes of the chance to reveal more inside information of our current lives were overwhelmingly constant. Why? Because we had returned from Oregon yesterday and at a very emotional time. It was the holidays, Bruce and Alfred were back in town, the Manor back in order and sprung back into life for such a occasion. It was strange being in that house now, at least for me, and yet, I was content. Well, I told myself I was. I was off my meds now, by my choice, no one else's. Everyone believed me to continue the prescribed amount of dosage being given to me but I had found ways around the fact. And, as expected, Dick was never more protective of me but I had managed to find ways to separate myself from him in certain instances. Not because I was annoyed or frustrated with him but more because I knew he needed a break; time for himself.

Now, when I say it was holiday time in Jump City that's precisely what it was. And it was in no way a normal occasion. Holidays at the Manor were always extravagant, over the top, submerged in elegant gowns, glamorous egos crowded in the confines of the Manor walls with shallow hearts built up and brimming with brown-nosing composure and objectives all here for one reason... Bruce Wayne. Which, again, is understandable and yet it did not make this scenario any easier, no, what did was the fact that my friends, all of them, would be by my side throughout this testing time.

I sat in my room at the moment, staring back at myself in the mirror across from me, my mind in its usual state of distress. I could tell that even without the bruises and scabs which use to consume my features I still didn't look myself. Or actually, I suppose in reality I did but I merely didn't see myself the way I used to and I wasn't sure I ever would. But that's not what mattered at a time like this. I had to be ready for an evening spent in the Manor. Dick had been texting me nonstop for the past hour and was becoming more infuriated with my hesitation and lag in response. In the end I was not looking forward to this evening. I had, or rather we all had, endured an intense, long lecture from Bruce earlier today. He had officially taken the liberty of descending upon us as the only real consistent parental guidance in our lives. He extended his sympathy and concern, in his distant Bruce Wayne way, and then forced expectations and logic he would otherwise now intend to expect from us to ensure our safety. Which was fine, to be honest it was nice to know there was someone looking after us. My mother, I knew she loved me but she couldn't handle situations like this. When she heard I was back at home with Komi she sent me flowers. Yea, that's about it. No phone call, no check up, nothing, but I understood; its just how she was.

As it were, while Dick had given me the space to somewhat become more independent and without his constant watch, he would be foolish if he didn't think I hadn't become aware of the body guard he had ordered to keep an eye on me from a distance when I was not around him. It didn't bother me though, the man shadowed me from a distance, never actually bothering me. In the end, If it made Dick more comfortable to know I was under constant watch then that's really all that mattered. Although, when I first realized someone following me I initially became paranoid. I already felt a constant amount of anxiety on a daily basis and was thoroughly relieved when I overheard a conversation between said bodyguard and Dick, but my anxiety wasn't dying down in the very least.

In any event, the only thing that concerned me was my sudden ability to sleep through the night. Keep in mind, I hadn't spent a night away from Richard and I wasn't really looking forward to when I would have to sleep on my own, but the nightmares had seem to... I wouldn't say vanish, but they were less aggressive. Perhaps the reality of Mr. Roth decaying somewhere in the frosted mountains of Oregon, no matter how gruesome a vision it was, it gave me closure and while I was still very much afraid of what I had been through, what I had suffered, nothing truly seemed so bad.

I stood now, dressed in my evening attire and lingered before Rachel's bedroom door. We were suppose to leave ten minutes ago for the Manor and yet she had locked herself away refusing to come out.

"Come on Rae. We're already late." I knocked again.

I pressed my ear against her door and held my breath to hear the muffled noise within her room better. There was a nauseated sniffle before her groggy voice sounded. "Yea... uh.." another sniffle. "...I'll be right there. Give me one more minute."

Five minutes later the door finally opened. My eyes narrowed over her large eyed gaze which zoned into mine in a sort of intense surge of emotion. I wasn't entirely sure what she was up to but since the night we... well, you know,... she had seemed a little strange; more than usual I mean. Her pupils were dominating over her violet iris', the small patch of skin just beneath her nose was constantly red and chapped. I could tell she was on some sort of drug but I wasn't sure which one. She had become very fidgety lately and while I knew drawing attention to her odd behavior would only make matters worse, I knew I had to address it eventually.

"What took so long?"

Her eyes snapped to mine with sudden urgency and they narrowed over my existence in judgment. "I wasn't ready." They narrowed even more defensively. "I am now so... lets just go."

The drive, it was silent in terms of verbal conversation but that didn't mean we were immune to behavioral exchange of words. Rachel sat within the driver's seat, her eyes wide and moving frantically over the traffic and ever so often over at me. I knew she was aware that I was wise to her drug use but we never spoke of it. She constantly sent me a conflicted series of glances, first they were resembling that of her need to be understood, her eyes would soften, her brows burrowing, her forehead scrunched insecurely. Then it would quickly snap to defensiveness, her expression would harden, her eyes unblinking, that defined brow raised. Which, once her mind had time to ponder and contemplate my expression of pure confusion, she would turn to anger. The quiver of her brow let me know she was holding back an amount of sudden rage, her eyes would darken as if growling at me, stabbing at my existence,... but we never spoke. She would repeat this process of ever changing expressions and I would counter with ones of confusion, comfort and eventual carelessness.

In the end, I knew she would eventually open up to me about what she was dealing with and if I pressed the matter it would only cause her to become more defensive and inevitably prolong the progress of her current internal struggle. So I left it silent, speaking only words of neutral conversation.

"I'll see you in there." She said, parking the car and immediately joining the crowd of people who had arrived at the Manor alongside us.

I gave a brief nod which went unnoticed and then slowly forced myself to approach the large double doors of the Manor. I was immediately spotted by Alfred. He gave me his always charming smile, his elegant, accented welcome bestowed lovingly and he directed me to the ballroom. I remained there in an awkward vibe, giving my all to ignore the whispers of those around me who spoke of my past ordeal and stared at me in odd glances to continue their assumption that I should be far more bruised and shattered by the 'always reliable' information the magazines and news had spilled from my traumatic experience. I shut my eyes, inhaling deeply and focused on my breathing.

"Kori..." Bruce's strong voice said calling to me. I inhaled deeply as the crowd around him fell silent, their interest suddenly becoming more focused on Bruce then me. Now, by the look on their faces I could tell they were assuming Bruce was somewhat upset merely by the tone of voice, but you have to remember, this is Bruce and I knew him better. I could tell he was trying to mask the concern he felt. He knew what I meant to Richard and more importantly what I meant to him... I was family and he would never let me forget it.

I smiled as he stepped to me accepting my shaky hand, his other hand clasped over the other, mine wedged between his strong grip and as he realized I was shaken with nerves he did the one thing I could never have expected. He slowly lowered his arms around me, a hand around the center of my back and the other against the side of my head as he pulled me into his chest. I felt pity for him, he had no idea what any of us had done and while he bestowed his concerns and care for me the only emotion capable of feeling was guilt. If he only knew what I had done, what we had done, he would surely never look at us the same.

I felt his chest raise and then he released me. I stared up at him with a hesitant smile, my shakiness slowly fading as a closed mouthed smile stared back at me. "Dick is around here somewhere but would you do me the honor of having the next dance?"

Damn Bruce, I knew what this was. He was trying to get me to smile, loosen up and be myself and to be honest, ... I suddenly felt that way. I tried to hold back a giggle and followed as he led me to the center of the room.

"So..." He said with a very suggestive tone that I was certain if I had discarded it he would only continue.

I cleared my throat. "If this is about me and..."

"It is." He said strongly, and for a moment I wasn't sure if he was upset or not about it. Inhaling deeply he twirled me slowly then brought me back to him. "I am... otherwise thrilled to of heard the news of you and Dick's relationship. If not for recent events I might say this is the happiest I've ever seen him."

I blushed slightly. "Well,... I am, happy as well."

HIs demeanor changed, his gaze strengthening in intensity. "It will get easier Kori... we will eventually find 'him'. Until then, I am glad you and DIck have one another, and you will all always have me."

I smiled. "Oh Bruce... becoming a little more emotional than I would have anticipated." As I laughed he cleared his throat in aggreeance.

We paused as Dick's voice reached us. "May I?"

Bruce brought his footing to a halt and turned to Dick with a nod. He placed a hand upon Dick's shoulder and gave him a brief nod. "Perhaps you should keep a closer eye on your date. It was far too easy for me to take her from you."

Dick rolled his eyes. "Don't worry about it."

Bruce left with a mildly content chuckle then Dick looked to me, his gaze locked into mine and a held back smile focused on me. He and I had not really had a chance to discuss certain aspects of our relationship nor had either of us drawn attention to the fact my previous behavior had been anything less than the norm. It was the first time since all of this began that I was seeing him somewhat stress free. His eyes lingered over mine in a trance as they wandered up and down my appearance.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" I giggled. I was trying to coax him into a more pleasant mood. I knew he didn't want to be here surrounded by all these random faces, no one did, but we had to keep up appearances, it was expected of us, so here we were.

He leaned into me with a single, lingering sweet kiss. "You are so beautiful."

Swallowing hard I lowered my gaze to the floor in a blush that stung at my cheeks. It wasn't until I felt him place his arm around my waist and take my hand into his, initiating a dance that I looked up to him again.

"You know..." he began again. "If you don't want to be here..."

"I'm fine." I assured him, nestling my head into his shoulder, sending a kiss to his neck. A giggle sounded from me as his skin gave way to a ripple of a shutter.

I could feel the heated glare of the onlookers which had begun to focus their attention on me and Dick. We, all of us, all five of us, were the talk f the town. Poor infant children exposed to the horrors inflicted by a murderer. They called us survivors, strong,... and yet, this was nowhere near what I was feeling. I felt anxious all the time, never a dull moment, not even in my sleep and while they looked to us with smiles, I knew they should be replaced with fear and disgust of what we were actually capable of.

As we danced in further silence, our bodies clinging too one another's for comfort, I noticed Rachel and Gar enter the room in forced smiles. If it wasn't obvious to anyone else, Rachel didn't smile which was a dead giveaway that she was forcing herself to seem in a pleasant mood but I understood her feelings in this moment. She and Gar had been, I wouldn't say closer, but something about them seemed slightly different. Good or bad? I don't know.

The room around us was thriving with life and yet for me I felt alone. My mind screaming in silence, an unbearable amount of emotion scraping just beneath my skin. I felt alone, I knew I had Dick, and Rachel, and Gar, and Vic, and we were all giving our all to hold firm in strength for one another, we all knew it wasn't anything but that... forced. The four of us, I was unsure where Vic was at the moment, would often meet glances and the secret held just within the borders of our mind would be acknowledged in a brief nod or weak smile. We didn't speak of it but that in no way meant it was forgotten. How could it have been?

I fell from my thoughts as Dick suddenly paused. He took my hand into his and brought it to his lips in a gentle caress of a kiss then smiled. It became apparent to me that the dance had ended and I smile d back.

"I need to go speak with Bruce." He said, somewhat hesitant to do so. It was as if he were only telling me so I would force him from his desire to ignore his obligation as Jump City's beloved citizen. "I'll be quick."

I nodded, releasing his hand as he left me by the small bar in the corner of the room.

"Think you could spare some time for an old friend?'

I turned with a glare. This was the moment I was dreading, we may have been gone from Jump City for a while but our problems never left. The moment we stepped off Bruce's private plane our problems, the rest of our life, it picked up right where it left off.

"I don't think so Roy. If Dick even discovers you are talking to me then he'll..."

He laughed arrogantly. "I take it you didn't tell him about our brief rekindling of sorts?"

I inhaled deeply, wanting nothing more than to slap him.

He shrugged. "It seems to me that your going far out of your way to protect me from your boy toy." He smiled. "I'm flattered."

"Don't be. I haven't told him for fear of..."

"Of what he might do to me?"

"No. For fear of what..."

"What I might do to him?" His smile widened.

"No." I said loudly, then struggled to calm my frustration as several eyes focused on Roy and I. Inhaling deeply I stepped toward Roy, lowering my voice to a barely sustainable whisper. "I have no fear of what will happen to Dick should he discover what _you_ did, only what it will do to his thoughts. We've all been through a lot lately and he... we don't need this Roy. He takes things like this far too seriously... and I think you know that."

His smile made me queasy and I couldn't help but regret that I had ever taken an interest in him. It was obvious now that my interpretation of the man he was, was obviously wrong.

"Leave her alone." Rachel's voice sounded.

Roy and I both looked to her as she approached alone. She glared at Roy with immense amount of tension which was only reciprocated back to her from his narrowed eyes.

"I said.. leave... her... alone."

Roy's posture suddenly stiffened and he looked to me with a smirk. "Well, if it isn't your body-guard. Always showing up when it's not necessary." He stepped aside, acknowledging Rachel once more before leaving into the crowd. "Bitch."

My eyes widened as the curse word breezed passed us but was instantly calmed with a laugh from Rachel. "I can't believe you ever dated him."

I sighed. "I don't really know what to think about anything right now. I don't... I don't really want to know why he wont just leave me alone." My attention moved past Rachel and to Dick. He stood at the edge of the room in conversation with Xavier. I wasn't sure why he would be conversing with him, Dick was never really a fan of him, but that wasn't what concerned me at the moment. I lifted a hand to my forehead. "I just want to focus on me and Dick. We... everything has just been really hard for us lately."

Rachel nodded. "Is this about he magazine?"

"What do you mean? What magazine?"

She raised a brow. "Oh, I thought you two had heard. Apparently there's this picture of you and Roy... together." She sighed, her eyes wandering over the crowd again. "Apparently there's this big dramatic theory that your cheating on Dick or something."

I felt a sense of panic rush over me. Issues within me and Dick's relationship was not what I needed right now. "What do you mean?"

Rachel sighed. "I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't have said anything."

As she went to turn away I pulled at her wrist. "Rachel..." I swallowed hard looking back at Dick, noticing a sudden change in his demeanor, he seemed less relaxed. "What... when was this picture taken?"

"I don't know I think it was the day you left the hospital." As she paused, allowing me time to think about that day, my mind completely crumbled. "I think its safe to say that Dick knows you didn't leave the hospital on your own and that of all people Roy was the one to..."

"I cant believe this. I don't... I..." I paused, eyes wide as I noticed Dick staring at me from across the room now, Xavier looking to me with a devious smirk. I exhaled slowly then gathered my thoughts. "This isn't what it looks like."

"Right but in the picture it clearly shows you two in each others arms kissing."

I rolled my eyes. "He kissed me and I was trying to push him off of me. I don't'..."

"Look, calm down." Rachel said annoyed. "You don't need to convince me of what happened. I already know you would never do that to Dick." She turned to the crowd now and we both swallowed hard as DIck made a b line for us. "Apparently ... its him who needs convincing."

Before I could respond Rachel dipped within the crowd vanishing instantly.

"Kori." Dick's voice finally reached me in an irate tone. I turned to him with a smile, but all he did was grind his teeth behind his lips. "Can I have a word?"

I nodded, not that I needed to. He was puling me from the room before even acknowledging my gesture. He led me into an empty room, and began pacing before me. I knew he was trying to find a reasonable, less conflicted, approached about what he, and myself, had only just discovered. His eyes glanced to me in a mixture of hurt and anger now and then but he just continued pacing.

We were all on edge, easily temperamental and while I understood his amount of anger right now there was no way I was going to be accommodating to his argument if the only reason for its arrival was his lack of trust in me.

"Dick."

He merely shook his head in response.

"Dick." I repeated. Raising my tone of voice I blocked his path. "Talk to me. Say what you have to say."

His eyes refused to meet mine. "I just... I just heard that you..." he fell silent again, his mind racing. "Did Roy pick you up from the hospital the day you checked yourself out? Was it him who brought you home when it should have been me?"

I sighed. "It wasn't planned and..."

"And he kissed you?"

I paused. Wait... what? Did I just hear him correctly? So he wasn't accusing me of kissing Roy which in any other occasion in the past he would have? This fact instantly calmed me down, at least he was trusting enough in me. "Yes, but.. but I stopped it as quickly as I could. It didn't mean..."

"Son of a bitch." He began pacing again. I could almost feel the heat from his anger rising off his skin.

"Dick..."

"He shouldn't have been the one to take you home." I agreed. "And he had the nerve to put his hands on you?"

I placed a hand upon his shoulder and drew his gaze to mine. My heart sunk at the sight of his infuriated expression. His billowing electric blue eyes hardened. There was no longer hurt within them, just anger.

I smiled, a hand against his cheek now. "It's not something you need to concern yourself with." I shrugged. "Don't let him get to you. We have plenty other things to be worried about."

He took my hand and forced it away from his cheek. "This isn't okay Kori. If I excuse his behavior its only going to get worse. He needs to be put in his place." He inhaled deeply, tightening his fists. "Is he here? Have you seen him?" He could tell from my immediate expression of fear that Roy was, and as he took to the exit of the room he paused. "Did he talk to you tonight?"

"Dick... I..."

"Did he?" He shouted, the vein in his neck pulsated at an alarming rate. I had seen him upset before but this, this was something far more intense.

I suddenly felt a tear stream down my cheek. There was no whimper that escaped my lips but I just couldn't stand to see him angry. After everything we have been through it only took a situation such a s this, when I can clearly see, hear, feel how upset he is, to send me over the edge. Roy just wasn't worth it. I just wish he could see that.

I shut my eyes and leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. All I wanted was for this night to be complied of amazing memories to add to our relationship, friendship, and yet it just wasn't happening. It seemed as though ever since Dick and I came together as a couple that our world had spun far too out of control. We had never really even had time, actual time, a prolonged period of time for ourselves. This realization hit me hard in this moment, and I knew it was only going to get worse. Complication... that's the name of the game, that's the entirety of my life... or so it seems.

My mind came to a pause and opening my eyes, they fell upon Richard. His thumb grazed against my cheek and it seemed as though the immense amount of anger he once held had vanished. As he spoke I became aware of the guilt which had washed over his features.

"I'm sorry." He rest his forehead against mine, bringing me tightly into his arms. "I'm not angry with you."

"You can't make a scene. Not over Roy, not here, you can't do that to Bruce." His chest raised as if to take a deep inhale and it seemed as though he had completely discarded his rage for Roy. He opened his mouth to speak but remained still as I laced an arm around his neck. "I love you Dick." Both of our eyes were shut, inhaling each others existence and it was right now that a thought crossed my mind. A thought that was far more then anything, I knew, he could expect in this moment. "Just be here... with me... no one else."

He hesitated as I took his hand and without reason led him back into the hallway. I could feel him slightly pull back on my hand as we became further from the celebration but I only tightened my grip. As we approached his room I heard him mumble something but I didn't take the time to understand it. Pulling him into his room I locked the door and turned back to him, him seeming nothing short of taken back by my desire to step away from the party to slip away to his room of all places.

"What are we doing in here?" He asked and I could immediately tell he felt anxious to return to the party for one purpose... finding Roy.

Ignoring him I smiled, making my way toward him. His hesitantly arched brow hung heavy over his intense gaze which had begun to take my appearance in fully now. I wore a snug fit lavender gown, his bracelet never leaving my wrist since he had last returned it to me. I notice a smirk surface from him as his eyes rest upon my wrist, where the bracelet remained. I hesitated before him trying to seem as seductive as I could manage without the thought of what was on his mind at the moment, which I could tell had not successfully shifted entirely to me.

"Do you love me, Richard?" I was thoroughly surprised that I had managed to compile enough strength to fight against the urge to smile, I wanted him to fully understand where I was going with this.

His gaze focused on mine, his expression not even attempting to hide his offense in the question. "Of course I do Kori. You know that."

I inhaled deeply, his eyes wandering over my features and I could tell he was becoming nervous at my demeanor now, unsure what I was thinking. I leaned my head forward, placing a hand behind his neck, holding him still as I slowly brought my lips against his. He did not hesitate to kiss me in return and with every stroke of his tongue against mine, I could sense the anger he felt slowly leaving him.

And the moment his touch became more aggressive, fully enveloped within the heat of the moment, my voice took to a whisper. I pulled my lips away, only inches from his, our heated fervent breathing continuing to be exchange with the close distance. I smiled slightly as his head jerked forward, insisting his hunger for more. "Then show me you love me." He suddenly paused, our eyes reading into one another's now. "With all the craziness in our life right now..." Running my hand down his chest, I kept my gaze fierce in my attempt to demonstrate how sexually frustrated I was suddenly feeling. "... all I want is to feel your love."

His voice asserted itself in a shaky amount words focused more on the logic of the situation. Logic, it seemed, he was clearly wanting to shove aside and just agree with me. "I ... I don't think this is the right time, Kor. I think ..."

I placed my index finger against his lips, silencing him instantly. "Stop talking."

I knew he wanted this, the only trouble was trying to show him that I did too and that I just didn't know how to say it previously. To be honest I couldn't think of a better way to relieve the stress we both felt then to engage in something more intimate between us. Sure, I had been through a tragic experience but I had felt this way before Mr. Roth, and I knew this would help me feel closer to him, help me smile and this truly was what I wanted. There was no amount of doubt, hesitation, anything that could make me reconsider this decision. I needed him.

I swallowed hard as I felt his body inhale deeply against me. I caught him glance to my lips, his attention focused on nothing more then me. The blue hue of his eyes suddenly sparked into a deeper, lustful driven gaze which trailed over my expression. As I sent him a seductive smile his lips collided with mine again. It was obvious Roy was the last thing on his mind now and I, the only thing I noticed was that his kiss had suddenly changed. His usual drive was still there, underlined with the same amount of intensity and yet his movements were slowed, passion... pure and true being exerted now. The once vigorous and strong presence of his hands on me had softened, not so much in intensity... again, passion. I was surprised when a smirk surfaced against his lips mid embrace. Our kiss deepened, all our frustration, anger, fears, worry, everything being expressed in our affection for one another. The heat of the moment quickly erupted in a fierce display of love and passion... and it came to a stop just as quickly.

He had thrust me back against one of the walls earning one of my giggles as I anticipated the following events to be exchanged between us out of nothing more than our love for one another. His lips were against my collar-bone, his hands relieving my shoulders from the straps of my gown when his kiss came to a halt as a small whimper of desire escaped me.

"What?" I asked breathlessly as he took a step back from me. The change in his demeanor now confused me, made me uneasy. He seemed conflicted. Was he not comfortable with this? Him of all people? "What's wrong?"

"I have to ask you something." He said running his fingers nervously through his hair, his gaze avoiding mine at all cost.

I inhaled deeply, the entire intimate moment vanishing. Resituating the straps to my dress back over each shoulder, a deep sigh of disappointment escaped me. "What?"

The fact that he felt the need to continue to keep his eyes averted from mine only made my nerves sink further. "Look, believe me, I ... I don't ..." He hesitated further, lowering himself upon the edge of his bed with a drawn out sigh. "I don't want to have to ask this but if I don't its going to keep driving me crazy."

"Alright."

He lowered his head into his hand, his elbows fixed upon his knees. His voice lowered in volume, a sense of hurt surfacing. "Did you..." a frustrated growl surfaced before continuing. "... did you... sleep with Roy?"

My eyes immediately narrowed, and it wasn't so much that the question bothered me, no, it was the uncertainty in his voice that hurt. It would have been easy to answer the question but I couldn't handle the amount of distance I felt between us now. I pulled myself up, rebalancing myself on my feet and off the wall and stepped toward the door.

"Kori... wait." He said following after me, a sense of desperation in his voice.

I turned to him in a glare, my finger extended in his direction, my voice raised. "For you to even think that..." I shook my head, my heart pounding now. "Since when have we ever let the press and media and... rumors, cloud our trust in one another. I can't..." I took a moment to inhale and absorb the obvious amount of uncertainty that lingered on his features before continuing. "I need space."

"What? Kori..." He said, his eyes receding into regret and fear. "Don't say that."

I held my ground. "I'll see you tomorrow. Just... give me time to absorb all of this."

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**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

"Great..." I mumbled to myself, Kori's thin figure vanishing from my view.

I hated myself in this moment but there was something far more important I had on my mind. Don't misunderstand me though, Kori was the most important thing in my life and always would be and even though I had just caused a series of new problems in our relationship, this night was about something else. I had to stay focused. I had to remind myself what tonight was really about. What is it about you ask?... Mr. Roth.

Regardless of his death there was still more to this puzzle then met the eye. i knew it, I think Rachel was aware of it, but the others merely focused on getting back to normal. Which was perfect. I didn't need Kori stressing out over all of this. I needed to find the answers I sought on my own. The stress I felt in relation to having just made things between Kori and I more complicated had to be put aside. I had to make sure that she was safe. If this sounds a little crazy to you, fine, but I just had to be sure.

You see, while the others had simply overlooked a lot of the details about Mr. Roth's stay in Jump City... I hadn't.

He was working with someone and I knew Terra was nothing more than a pawn. Sure, she probably had a few details that could help me in this search for answers, but she wasn't my main concern. We had been back in Jump City only two hours yesterday before I realized a shadow on Kori. I was even more infuriated when I came to the realization that it had taken me a whole two hours to even notice she was being watched. It was my responsibility, not obligation, but pure desire to be the one to shield her from harm and that's exactly what I would do. She wanted more space since we had returned home and I was hesitant to give it to her, only doing so as I hired someone to keep an eye, not so much on her, but the stranger that lurked wherever she went.

The more difficult thing about all of this was why? Why was someone following Kori? Why not Rachel? Why not all of us? There had to be more to all of this... there had to be."

I quickly left my room, not bothering to return to the celebration. I had already made my appearance and that was all that was expected of me. I slipped into the farther corridors of the Manor to a dark room I had otherwise dubbed my own. She would be waiting there, just as I had demanded of her.

Shutting the door and locking it behind me, I stared back at her unblinking. "You came."

"You asked." She coughed.

Inhaling deeply I stepped toward her. "No one can know about this, not even Gar.. It's just you and me." She nodded. "Tell me everything."

She hesitated. "I just need you to know that I am just as much a victim in all of this as any of you."

That's not what I cared to hear. "Don't think for one second that I'd even be talking to you if I had no other option."

"Dick..."

"I don't care what you've been through. You'll never be anything aside from the one who put the most important person in my life in danger. Now ... I know Mr. Roth had help escaping from prison, he wasn't alone in finding his way back to Jump, and he must have done something to recruit you under his wing. Don't make me ask again... tell me everything."

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**(Rachel Roth's POV)**

Buzzing... vibrating, muffled tones... that's all it was. Everything around me was making me queasy. I needed to re-up. I needed a moment to myself to be able to stomach another ten minutes in this place.

"Gar..." I said, far more than annoyed as he continued his rant about how uncomfortable he felt in this scenery of elegant gowns and plastic smiles. "Gar dammit! Listen to me!"

"Fine.. what?"

"I just..."

"Holy shit Rae..." he said lunging at me, his eyes wide with concern. "You're bleeding."

I immediately felt as though the entire room had eyes on me. It wasn't true but it definitely seemed as though the walls were closing in, a spotlight shinning bright in a hover over me. I lifted a hand beneath my nose, trying to conceal the trail of blood that seeped from my nostril.

"Fuck." I muttered to myself as I elbowed my way through the crowd around us and out of the room. I quickened my pace as the restroom came into view. Entering the bathroom I came face to face with a fellow student from school. She looked to me wide-eyed, but I spared no time for her feelings and shoved her out of the room, ignoring Gar as he stepped around the nervous girl and shut the door behind us.

"What the hell is going on?" He asked as I leaned my face over the sink, drawing the faucet to life.

"Just..." I paused, the warm, bitter taste of my own blood sending an overwhelming chill through my body. "Just get out of here. I need a minute."

"Rae, I ... I need to know whats going on." I wiped at my nose with a tissue, the flow of red finally ceasing. "Are you... are you back on drugs? Is that what this is?"

I laughed, no acknowledgment beyond that. His presence was quickly becoming too much to endure. The last thing I needed was to lose control and snap at him.

"I understand you're upset with everything that's happened but we're all here for you." I ignored him still, I had to, his words of comfort were feeding my impatience at this moment. "I need you to open up to me. I can't be here for you if..."

"I asked you to leave."

"No."

I turned to him now, my teeth grinding against each other to try to hold back my desire to shove him from the room. I could feel my every nerve sparking with anxiety, leaking any amount of control. As my chest began to heave, I narrowed my eyes at him. "Fine... you want me to open up to you?"

I could tell my tone of voice made him nervous. "Uh..."

"Fine..." I said impatiently, my shaking hands removing my small purse from my shoulder and forcing it down upon the bathroom counter. "You really want to know what I've been up to..." I pulled a small bag from within the purse and opened the thin seal, exposing my finger to the white powder. "... you want to know what's on my mind?... what's bothering me...?" I dismissed the fear that invaded his once concerned features and inhaled through my nose the small amount of powder on my finger. "This... this Gar... this is what I'm up to." I repeated the action twice more, before my body gave way to an inhale of a much calmer mood. "This is what I'm doing Gar. I'm back on drugs. Watch out... crazy Rachel Roth is straddling over the edge again."

"Rachel... this isn't you."

I laughed, the humor in his words and the ignorance that consumed him... it was too much. "Funny... very funny Gar. I have to admit... you always did have too much hope for me."

"Rachel we're all going through this together. You don't have to result to drugs to make your problems go away. It's only going to make things worse."

I placed the small bag back into my purse again. "Yea well, maybe that's what I'm hoping for."

He blocked my path as I tried to leave. My eyes widened in warning. "Move."

He shook his head. "Give me the bag."

My brow curved at his audacity to demand anything from me.

"Give me the bag. I can dispose of it and you and I can work this out together."

"Get out of my way. This is a poor excuse of judgement Gar. "

He forced his back quickly against the bathroom door as I stepped toward him again.

"I don't want to hurt you Gar." My teeth were grinding viciously now. I really didn't want to hurt him, but I would if it meant I would be free of this situation. "Move."

He shook his head. "No. I'm trying to help you."

"I don't want your help. I don't... I don't need your help. I don't need anyone's help. What I need is for you to get the fuck out of my way." He remained still, his eyes hardening in confidence against my glare. Inhaling deeply, I forced a laugh. "Alright so... what happens now? Are you gonna force me to give you the drugs?"

"If I have to."

My eyes narrowed, not really expecting his response. I shook my head, my mind begging for me to lash out against him violently. "You can't do this Gar. If this is about the pathetic kiss we shared then I'm going to gladly put you in your place. I don't want to be someone you are concerned for, or care about, or..."

"I don't believe that. I think you're just afraid to let someone care about you."

My eye twitched now, my brow quivering in bit back rage. "You're an idiot."

"Maybe... but that doesn't mean I'm going to be the idiot that lets you leave here without giving me your purse." He shrugged. "Hate me all you want but I will get it from you... I'll take it from you if I have to."

I could feel my body erupt in tremors now. It took everything I had not to lunge at him, everything...

"Fine..." I flung the purse from my shoulder and shoved it into his chest. "It's not like it's all that hard to get more."

He moved away from the door and I forced my heated, infuriated self into the hallway again. I reached for my phone and upon realizing it was with Gar in my purse I released a growl into the quiet hallway.

"Watch it!" I shouted as my body collided with another.

"Rachel?"

My anger didn't subside but my need to become physically violent had. "Kori..." I rolled my eyes. "I ... what happened to you?"

She forced a hand over her cut brow, wiping at a small amount of blood that oozed from it. "I need to get out of here. Will you take me home?"

A smile waved through my insides, this was exactly what I needed to do right now. I knew Komi would be able to ease the anger I felt. "Sure."

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	28. Give 'Em Hell Kid

Chapter Twenty-Eight: **Give 'Em Hell Kid**

**(Kori Anders' POV)**

"What?" Rachel shouted. The volume of her voice reached me in a shockingly loud wavelength I had yet to ever hear from her. To be honest, previous to this outburst I had assumed Rachel, even when angered, was incapable of this must energy being exerted into her words. She stared back at me wide-eyed, the amount of shock and disbelief on her face lingering over mine, making me reconsider my decision to even have spoken to her about this.

I suddenly felt a wave of anxiety rush over me at an unbearable rate. I knew I probably shouldn't even be discussing this particular part of me and Dick's relationship with anyone but I just couldn't take it anymore. I was... embarrassed. This uneasy emotion heightening as Rachel began to pace before me in a more than interested amount of emotion.

She shook her head, a slight nasalized chuckle sounding. "I cannot believe of all people... Dick Grayson... Dick fucking Grayson turned _you_ down for sex?"

I placed my hands over my ears lifting my feet to the edge of the chair in which I sat in, hugging my knees to my chest in discomfort. Just the way Rachel explained this scenario made me feel, I don't know, I'm not sure I even really understand how I feel and I wouldn't even be talking to Rachel about something like this if I wasn't feeling completely and utterly, well, ... desperate.

"Shhhhhhh!" I breathed loudly. "Someone could hear you."

I remained in my scrunched up position, my eyes wide against Rachel's. "Who? It's just Komi here. Besides, I just... I can't believe that he would turn _you_ down. I don't get it. The guys a fucking playboy for crying out loud. He's been dreaming about the day he could get into your pants probably from infancy."

I exhaled heavily, lowering my head into my hands feeling like nothing more than a reject. "I didn't tell you this so you could rub it in my face." I looked up to her, her eyes had managed to find a more sympathetic mood against my pleading expression. "I really... really... _really_ don't know what to do about this. I feel so stupid. How could I... how could he..." I released a small growl, my head in my hands again. "I don't know how to take this."

I didn't give her much detail about what happened between Dick and I nor what happened after but I was feeling far to overwhelmed at the moment. Dramatic right? Annoying? Self Pity? Yes, yes ... and yes. Perhaps I did over react but I truly felt, I don't know what I felt. I mean, I suppose this whole situation, he and I finally taking the next step in our relationship has crossed my mind now and then. Okay, maybe a lot but I think what really bothered me was less about Roy and more about the uncertainty that consumed him. He stared back at me as though it was something he truly needed confirmation on, and that alone killed me. And, excuse me but even if by some change of events in the past that I had slept with Roy, would he really have felt it necessary to completely allow it to affect our relationship? Somehow I got the feeling it would affect him, which is in no way fair. I mean, look at me, you don't see me asking exactly how many girls he had been with, and to be honest the thought of how high a number it was only disturbed me further; I didn't want to know. Above all this, I couldn't shake this feeling that Dick was struggling to see past certain obstacles in our relationship. Maybe it was just my own imagination but it was as though he couldn't see past the fact that I wasn't innocent little Kori anymore. Sure, we kissed, groped, all that but... I had practically thrown myself at him and it felt as though he was using Roy as an excuse to separate himself from the situation before going too far.

Which is why I'm here right now, sitting in my dinning room speaking with Rachel about all of this. I'm well aware that I tend to become so sucked into my own mind, my own thoughts and perceptions of things that my vision and interpretation can become somewhat tainted by my insecure outlook on things. I just didn't want to risk ruining things between Dick and I over... Roy... or worse over my own sketched out thoughts. I mean, I was feeling more myself everyday but that in no way meant I wasn't struggling still. I needed Rachel's advice on this and so far I was not pleased with the amount of sensitivity, or lack there of, she was sending my way.

"Look," Rachel began again, the confidence in her voice giving me some sort of relaxation. And as she surfaced a small bag from her sweater pocket she now clung over the chair behind her, my insides became somewhat tense. I hadn't expected her to be so open with her drug use. And even as she spilled a small amount of the white power on the granite table top which separated us, she seemed so unaffected by it and it was now that I realized her night must not have been going so well either. "Dick... he's... well, he's an idiot."

I forced a laugh, my eyes watching closely as she leaned over the powder a dollar bill placed beneath her nose."No he isn't."

"Oh yes, yes he is." She inhaled deeply, her body leaning back now, her head tossed back in a form of ecstasy in which she received from the drug. "He... he's very sensitive when it comes to you." She looked to me now, a finger running back and forth beneath her nose. "I mean, you know this, I know this... the world knows this. And even though he knows what ever happened between you and Roy was nothing you could have anticipated... his mind is constantly working against him. Always getting him worked up." She shrugged. "He takes everything far too seriously."

"So what do I do?"

She shrugged, a devious laugh flowing now and I couldn't help but take notice of the slight increased pace of her speaking. "Let him flounder for a bit. He'll realize he's wrong."

"Okay... so I just ignore him until then? I mean I may be home right now but I'm technically staying in his house."

"Right, you along with a million other people. Just... don't worry about it tonight. Let's just take a pause... just for tonight." She paused, running a hand aggressively down the length of her face. "I really fucked up tonight. Gar... hes... he's really pissed."

Oh, that's right, this may be my life but I wasn't the only one in it. It was now that I recalled a very interesting exchange of smiles on the plane back from Oregon between Rachel and Gar. I wasn't really sure what was going on with them or if there was anything to report on but if she was talking to me about him then I knew something was more than wrong.

"What happened?"

"He just..." She sighed. "He wouldn't back off and I... " I swallowed hard as she began to fidget more, her fingers twitching with anger. "...in a fit of rage I revealed to him that I was on drugs but..." She shook her head in disgust. "The fucker wouldn't back off. What was I suppose to do?" She growled, bringing her fist heavily down upon the table. "I mean... can't he just... don't you think he would see me as nothing more than a monster after what I've done? Why can't he just go away? I don't want his sympathy... it ... it makes me sick."

I paused long enough for her to retreat back into her thoughts, allowing silence to calm around us before adding my opinion. "Well,... I think we all are worried." She snapped her neck toward me, her eyes narrowed. "No I just... we should all be worried, about all of us. I mean... things are ... hard right now."

Her laugh sent chills down my spine, and not in a good way. "What so you think because you got into a little argument with your bestie that the whole world is coming to an end?"

My eyes narrowed. "No... Rachel, I just..."

She stood. "For future reference... no one gives a shit about a little heiress and her boy troubles." She exhaled curtly, forcing her sweatshirt over her head. "There are a million more important issues happening all around us. It may be hard to take... but Kori... your life is easy alright. Don't preach to me about how I should be more endearing to someone... you know what I've done, you all do. I see the signs. The way all of you look at me as if I'm about to lose control and go on a killing spree."

I stood now, interrupting her. "Fuck you Rachel. I'm dealing with a lot more than just my relationship with Dick alright. I mean, I'm sorry if I'm making this night about me but... I thought you were asking me what was wrong, what was bothering me."

"That's fine. All I'm saying is that the world has bigger problems beyond the luxurious life of Miss Kori Anders."

As she stepped to the door I shoved at her arm. She froze and turned to me. "Don't you dare leave."

"What? What do you want from me?"

"I just..." I placed a hand upon my forehead, cringing involuntarily as my palm swept across the cut upon my brow. "I just want to talk with you. This isn't the way I wanted things to go tonight." I shrugged. "I'm sorry."

She hesitated. "You never told me what happened..." She motioned to my brow, a subject I was hoping to otherwise avoid. "Who did that to you?"

I shook my head. "I don't... it's not a big deal."

She stepped toward me now, directing my head back, her eyes narrowing over my cut and sighing. "If this has anything to do with Roy..." As I swallowed hard, refusing to respond, she shook her head. "Does Dick know about this?"

"No... I don't..."

"What happened? What did he do?"

"Nothing." I answered quickly.

"Kori!"

I sighed. "Look, it was... a misunderstanding."

"Tell me or I'll go find the son of a bitch myself and without explanation I'll kick his ass just to be sure there are no more misunderstandings."

I inhaled deeply then lowered myself back onto my chair. "I can't take this. I know you think I'm pathetic but I just..." I looked up to her shaking my head. "I can't take this anymore."

She smiled, her mood swings beginning to give me a headache. "Nah .. you're fine. You just need something to help you relax."

"I don't... I don't do drugs... or..." I wasn't really sure how to say this without offending her, or acknowledging the back of my mind that was saying 'fuck it.. go for it'. "I just... I can't."

She ran a hand beneath her nose in a sudden amount of enthusiasm. "No really, this is different. I wont be giving you the type of shit I take." She rummaged through her jacket pocket and surfaced a small pill bottle. "Here..." She removed a single yellow pill and placed it upon the table before me. "Trust me."

I hesitated. "I don't know... I mean, what is it?"

"It's a xanax. It will help you calm down. Make things a little easier to handle." She paused, pressuring me no further. "So ... Roy... what happened?"

"I just... he was... I mean..."

"Come on... just tell me. As little amount of detail as possible... please."

"He just... I was leaving Dick's room, looking for you and I ... I just ran into him in the hallway and he..." Her eyes widened. "No... I mean, he didn't actually do anything but... "

"But he tried?"

It sounded less like a question and more like a statement but I answered nonetheless. "Kind of. I mean he got a little grabby but I shoved him back."

"Right... so how do you explain the cut?"

"He shoved me back." I said, swallowing hard.

She immediately took to her feet heading for the door, her car keys tight within her grasp now. I stepped before her, blocking the exit.

"Not this again." She said rolling her eyes. "you'd be the second one to stand in my way tonight."

"I just don't think this is the way to go. I made him back off, it's over."

"This is why he keeps fucking with you, you realize that don't you? Your protecting him from all of us, your friends that would gladly knock some sense into him for you."

"I realize that but... Roy already has Dick looking for him and..."

Rachel laughed. "Perfect."

As she pulled out her phone, I sighed. "Please don't feed the fire that is Dick's anger. Trust me... he's upset enough. Please just... don't tell him."

She hesitated. "Fine... lets just watch a movie or something."

Now, even though she had returned her phone to her pocket, I was certain this was not the end of it.

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**(Richard Grayson's POV)**

"Is that all? Is that everything?" She nodded. "And you're entirely sure on all the details?"

"Yes, Dick. Can I go now?" Terra whined.

I hesitated. "Fine. Go... but go home, you're not welcome here." As she stepped to the door I called back to her once more. "And I don't want to find out later that you're speaking with Gar. Not one word, not even if it isn't about this."

She gave me a brief nod then disappeared behind the door I was finally left to myself. AS my phone Vibrated I released a growl into the dark room.

**GAR:** _We need to talk. It's about Rachel._

**DICK**_: I don't have time for this. Is it an emergency?"_

**GAR**: _Duh._

I rolled my eyes.

**DICK**: _Fine. My room in five._

I sighed, running a hand through my hair in an exhausted slouch. The night I was having was proving to be nothing more than overwhelming. All I wanted was to find Kori. I had handled the business I needed to attend to and with the insane amount of chaotic information Terra had released to me... I just needed to be with Kori.

Regardless, I quickly strode to my room, meeting Gar in the hallway at my arrival and entering beside him.

"What is it?" I said carelessly, my attention more focused on my phone as I text Kori.

**DICK:** _Where are you?_

"Seriously dude, I really don't know how to handle this. I mean..." I gave him my attention now as I waited for Kori's response. "... she's back on drugs again."

"What?" My eyes widened as he tossed a small bag upon my bed, the white powder staring back at me as confirmation. I sighed. "What the... this has Komi written all over it."

"It does?" He asked curiously as he leaned toward the small bag.

"Not literally." I snapped, my patience refusing an appearance. "Look, if Rachel's on drugs I know its Komi supplying it to her."

"So what do we do?"

"I don't... I don't know alright. I have a lot on my mind and..."

"This is Rachel, Dick. She's our friend. All of us... in this together... I thought that was the deal?"

I sighed. He was right, but shit, I did not want to deal with this right now. Exhaling heavily I hesitated momentarily. "Fine... no, you're absolutely right. I'll umm... I'll go talk to Komi tomorrow and..."

"And what about tonight? I saw Rachel leave with Kori earlier. What makes you think she wont get Kori into this type of stuff and..."

"Kori isn't foolish enough to do something like that."

"Oh... and Rachel is? You just assume because she feels the need to get help from a chemical substance that it makes her any less foolish than your precious Kori?"

My eyes narrowed. "Don't talk about Kori like that. Look, I said..."

"Yea yea, you said tomorrow. But I think we all know if it was Kori you would have been on this five minutes ago trying to make it right."

"And why the hell am I suppose to be the one to fix everything?"

"I don't know dude, you're kinda making me regret even coming to you with this. I thought you were someone I could trust, depend on and..."

I rolled my eyes. "You can Gar I'm just a little preoccupied at the moment."

"Forget it." He snapped, taking the bag back and stepping to the bedroom door. "I think I'd have better luck going to Vic with this."

"Gar come on..."

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The sun peaked through my window signaling the approaching dawn. Another day... another perfect execution of failure and misjudgment on my part. Even as my alarm clock sprung to life I remained wide awake, allowing it to sound without mercy against my tired mind. I had dismissed Gar without hesitation the night before when he clearly needed my help and to say I had made a mistake with Kori last night and the position I had put her in would be a understatement and what was worse was that it wasn't the only mistake of the evening. Well, at least in her eyes. For me I had done what I believed was necessary and while I had the satisfaction of bruises to prove it that didn't mean she would like it anymore then I expected her to.

The only thing strong enough to pull me from my stressed thoughts was the sound of my phone going off. I had text Kori several times within the night but was ignored each time so I was certain she was finally responding.

**RACHEL:** _We need to talk._

I rolled my eyes. Is it so much to ask that I get a response from Kori?

**DICK**: _I heard about your new hobby. Is that what this is about?_

**RACHEL**: _Fuck you... and no... this is about Kori._

I sat up within my bed leaning back against the headboard now.

**DICK:** _Is she alight? What happened?_

I could have gone without the prolonged lag within her response.

**RACHEL:** _Don't worry lover boy, she can handle herself._

**DICK:** _Then what? Can't you just be straight with me?_

**RACHEL:** _I'm just checking to make sure you payed a little visit to our old friend Roy._

I paused staring down at the scrapes scattered across my knuckles, then with a laugh I responded.

**DICK:** _Definitely... why?_

**RACHEL:** _That's all._

I suddenly became suspicious. What reason would Rachel have to be concerned with me handling Roy?

**DICK:** _What aren't you telling me?_

**RACHEL**: _Fine, but I'm only telling you this because you'll be able to tell the moment you see her._

**RACHEL:**_ I guess Roy tried to force himself on Kori in a drunken daze. She's fine though, handled him herself. I was just making sure you got a few punches in yourself._

**DICK:** _Is she at home?_

**RACHEL_:_**_ Yep_

**DICK:** _Keep her there. I'll be there as soon as I can._

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A new record of ten minutes, that's all it took for me to bring my motorcycle to a halt before Kori's house. I jumped from my bike and raced toward the front door. Rachel greeted me at the enrance, anticipating my arrival and didn't question me as I invaded the home in a fit of rage.

"Her room."

That's all she said, and that's all need be said at the moment. I came to a stop before Kori's door, only halting once I realized it was locked. I knocked loudly, my voice trying to hold back the anger I felt. "Open up."

"Go away." She whined in a groggy sleep.

I knocked more violently now. "Unlock the fucking door Kori."

It was obvious she could sense my mood by the tone in my voice for I heard her fumbling as quickly as she could before the door opened and she stared back at me. I took her into my arms without hesitation. I wasn't concerned with the probability of the amount of anger she possessed for me since our last conversation, her lack of response to my texts all night proved that, but I didn't care. All that mattered was she was in my arms again.

"Dick... what..."

I stared down at her now, my eyes narrowed. "I told you Kori... I told you I was to be the first one you called when something like this happens."

She rolled her eyes, speaking in a barely comprehensible mutter. "Rachel."

"You were really going to keep this from me?"

I noticed her eyes spark as she took the time to notice my appearance. I swallowed hard as she set her gaze on mine for a brief moment. Aside from the smile I gave her, she turned away momentarily and I knew she must noticed the slight bruise on my eye, the peeled back skin on my knuckles, all of it.

I lowered my voice trying to sound sincere yet I sounded more hurt and guilty than anything. "Kori..."

The moment my hand grazed against hers she spun around and forced her arms around me aggressively. I couldn't have expected any amount of passion from her in this moment, I expected anger, rage, yelling... not this. Her lips sent several adoring pecks to my mouth, cheeks, nose, chin, her hands latched onto my head keeping me still.

"Kori.." I mumbled through her lips, my hands against her hips trying to keep my balance as she continued to lean more aggressively into me. "Kori..." I repeated in a chuckle, finally getting a response from her.

Her breath was heavy and her eyes practically crying in front of me. "Are you alright?" She left no room for me to respond. I couldn't help but smile as her eyes snapped frantically over my bruises and scrapes, her lips finding their way to them sweetly. "Dammit, Dick! What happened to you?"

I inhaled deeply, and took her hands into mine. "I'm fine." She looked to me with a sense of desperation. I licked at my cut lip and brought her against my body. "I did what I had to. I did what I said I would do. And I know you are probably really upset but..." I shook my head. "Even if he ever speaks to you again I'll do the exact same thing." I could tell she was upset having hear me confirm that I had initiated a fight with Roy but for some reason all she did was smile. My eyes narrowed. "You're not upset?"

"Of course I'm upset... I just... " She ran a hand through my hair, drawing a surge of arousal from me immediately, and the devious look in her eyes wasn't helping either. "I'm glad you're okay."

To say I was stunned by her reaction wouldn't be enough. I was... floored. "Ummm... look I actually ... I wanted to ummm..." I paused as a wave of chills surged through my veins as her lips met my neck. "i wanted to umm, clear... uhh,, the air... about last night and..."

"I already spoke with Rachel." She said between the presence of her soft lips and tongue against my flesh now. "I'm not upset with you anymore."

"Hey Kor." Said Komi as she peeked her head into the doorway. Both of us stepped away from on another as if it were still unusual for us to be affectionate openly around others. "Hey I still wanted to discuss..." She paused as she noticed me.

It was Kori who broke the awkward silence as she stepped into the hallway and led all of us to the kitchen. She pulled a bottle of champagne from one of the cupboards. "Well, its just us here we might as well... enjoy ourselves."

She giggled popping the cork free of the bottle, a small scream of excitement leaving her as her body bounced up and down. Now, I was completely zoned into her body and they lack of sufficient clothing that covered her skin basking in her beauty as she stood in a small pair of shorts and a lavender tank top which stopped inches above her navel. I made my way toward her, ignoring the presence of Komi and Rachel who had suddenly remained in silence and I hugged at her from behind. I was angry, more angry than I had been with Roy last night but right now... I had to make Kori happy. I had to let her know I was here for her.

"What the hell happened to you?" Komi said looking to me with a smile.

"Him?" Rachel chuckled. "I can't wait to see what the other guy looks like."

I ignored both of them, my main concern was Kori now. Pouring four glasses of champagne, she giggled, enduring my hands upon her sides as I ran them along her sweet skin possessively.

We all talked for a long while before Kori looked to me and announced she would be back soon. Now, she said soon, but I knew that if she was getting ready for the day it would be a long while before I actually saw her again. An hour minimum.

As I watched her step out of the kitchen, my eyes lingered, moving up and down her tanned skin before she could fall out of my view.

"Happy you can finally adore her from afar without judgment?" Rachel's voice sounded beside me.

I gave her a quick smirk then leaned myself upon the stool before the kitchen counter beside her. In truth, I knew Kori had been sweet with me this morning but I knew I wasn't off the hook entirely about last night and as Komi ventured back into the living room alone I turned to Rachel for advice. Advice I really didn't want to ask for. "I really messed up."

"What else is new?" She laughed.

I raised a brow at her suspiciously. "Did Kori say something?"

"Maybe."

Her shrug was not what concerned me but the half-smile that she attempted to hide. I immediately turned my body toward her, my eyes sporting a pleading look. "You have to tell me Rae. Look, I don't know what to expect from her. I mean she's obviously fine in front of other people but when it comes to time with just me and her..." I sighed. "She was... I mean... the look on her face... she was hurt, angry."

"She has every right to be." As I remained silent she rolled her eyes knowing perfectly well I was waiting for her to elaborate in her opinion. She lowered her book, shutting it with a sigh. "Why do I always have to be the middleman in everyone's arguments?"

"Please."

"Fine. She didn't say much, only that she basically threw herself at you and you denied her."

"That's not true." I said offended.

"Sure, but either way this is really bothering her."

"What do you mean?"

Rachel repositioned herself in front of me, leaning toward me slightly. "You're Dick Grayson for crying out loud, you'll sleep with anyone if they're attractive, and for Kori, if she believes she threw herself at you and you declined her..." she shook her head. "... what I took from her attitude was that she's not just angry, she's hurt and basically embarrassed. She feels inadequate to ..." she rolled her eyes, fighting through her desire to avoid the subject all together. "... inadequate to your... needs."

"What?"

"Look if she thinks she can't satisfy you, that she's not attractive enough for you... then..." she paused. "... she's going to lash out and end up pushing you away out of embarrassment. To be honest, she thinks you can't stop seeing her as innocent little best friend Kori."

"How do I make her see that this isn't what she thinks it is?"

"I give up. If neither of you are willing to give me the actual details of your argument then I can't help you... and I'm not going to beg for them so ,..."

As she reopened her book I placed a hand over it and forced it closed once more, her annoyed gaze returning to mine. "Come on."

"Spill."

I sighed. I didn't enjoy discussing anything that happened between Kori and I on a personal level but I really needed help. "We... well, the night everything happened with your father, I read a text on her phone from Roy asking her to meet him by the pool."

"And?"

"Well its bad enough for her to be talking to him and hiding it but the fact that she had told me that night she was going to find you when in realty she lied, she was going to meet up with Roy to allow whatever it is he was planning to do with her. "

"You sound like a child, you realize that don't you?"

I sighed heavily. "I don't care what I sound like. I need your help on this, don't make me regret asking for it."

She hesitated. "Fine... so she was supposedly going to meet up with Roy... so what? You don't actually believe that she would ever betray you, do you?"

"Why wouldn't I.. the proof was on her phone. Then there's word in the papers that while she was technically with me it was Roy who picked her up from the hospital and above all that he kissed her and..."

"Well, first off, your invasion of her privacy will eventually go too far, and maybe this is the time it has,... I don't know. What I do know is that she loves you Dick, she really does, this entire time she has and... you just need to understand that she's insecure. She may not be insecure about how others outside our circle of friends view her but when its you... _especially_ you... she takes it to heart."

"I just asked her if she slept with Roy."

My stress tripled as Rachel's eyes widened. "So you're telling me that she basically asked you to sleep with her and instead of actually doing it you took a pause to discuss Roy, and not only Roy but whether or not Kori, _our_ Kori, actually slept with him?"

"See this is exactly how I felt and if Roy had never made that comment that night at the pool I wouldn't feel this way." I shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, obviously I didn't actually think she had slept with him but I had to ask. I had to get it off my chest."

"Right, and the option of merely explaining to her that Roy had made you feel uncomfortable about their previous relationship never crossed your mind?" As I hesitated, she returned her attention to her book. "Of course not. Sorry, I'm with Kori on this one."

"But..."

Both of us fell silent as the Kori's voice suddenly entered the kitchen as she approached us.

"Mind if I steal him from you for a moment?"

Rachel gave me a quick glance, then shook her head. "No, I was thinking about spending a little time Hunter S. Thompson. " As she gripped her book tightly, motioning toward it she retracted her attention from us.

For me, I wasn't entirely sure how to act around her. I wasn't exactly sure how upset she was with me, but from what Rachel had told me, I believed I had better be cautious as to not open my mouth and say something that would make all of this a lot worse.

She led me to her room, locking the door behind us as she situated herself upon her bed. "Lay with me."

Both of our eyes clashed in an awkward exchange of uncertainty. I tried not to let the fact that right now, in any normal circumstance, she would have lay herself back into my arms giggling at me with a kiss, but the truth was that it did bother me. As I lay beside her upon the bed, trying to place an arm around her, her body immediately tensed up. I Immediately became enraged by her awkward behavior with me and positioned my arm around her regardless. She paused for a moment, the tension in her body against mine lingered before she finally turned her head up at me.

"Is that okay if I steal away from the world today?" She asked, looking up to me nervously.

"Of course." I smiled, as she turned her attention to the large flat screen which clung onto the wall opposite us. Clearing my throat, I said, "Hey, Kori..." She gave me a quick mumble. "... I just... I wanted to talk about..."

"No way..." She said, her voice dominating over mine. She nudged my side with an elbow and motioned to the tv screen. "Do you remember this movie?"

I ignored her excitement and forced her gaze to mine, her eyes panicking before me. I inhaled deeply, taking a moment just to soak in the amount of beauty she held. To think Roy had ever put his hands on her, to think back to Mr. Roth and what he had done... it was all too much, and it was all my fault. I could see she was hesitant with me, hesitant, hesitant, hesitant... I hated it.

"I'm so sorry Kor... for everything."

I paused as her chest raised in a deep inhaled. "I understand why you..."

"No... no you don't. You didn't deserve to be put into the position I left you in." I shook my head. "To be clear... I never actually thought you had been with Roy. I just.."

"I know..." She rolled her beautiful green eyes with a giggle, her hand against my chest now. "Believe me... I know."

"I know but..."

"Relax," she laughed. "I shouldn't have been so hard on you. Rachel reminded me how ridiculous your brain works sometimes... well, most of the time."

I laughed. "Right... well... thanks." She held back a smile as I brushed a stray hair from her eyes, my voice taking to a more serious tone. "I just want to be sure that you understand how much you mean to me. I know how ... I know how I acted last night but..." I swallowed hard. "... I do love you..." I cupped my hand over hers, which remained against my chest. "... I'm just not so good with expressing it... sometimes."

She hesitated and I could read from her eyes that I had gotten my point across clearly. I knew she believed that I loved her but I wanted her to believe it without any doubt and more importantly without hesitation. I laughed as she placed a hand over her face, trying with everything she had to hide her intense blush, and attempt to suppress a smile.

"I just..." She shook her head with an embarrassed laugh. "All I wanted was sex..." My eyes widened at her forwardness. She looked to me with a giggle again. "I thought you were used to expressing yourself in that way. I didn't realize I would be shut down."

"No... I..." I suddenly felt extremely nervous now. "Shit Kori." She laughed, and I joined her as we basked in our utter embarrassment of the moment which clung thick to the air around us. "I just... with you... its different with you. I ... none of that, in the past, those girls... it wasn't... they didn't... " I sighed frustrated at my inability to speak in this moment. I found comfort instantly as I looked deep into her eyes which stared back at me so innocently. "I mean... It's not the same. I didn't feel anything with them. It was just... ugh... I really don't want to have to explain this."

"Then please... feel free to stop." She said with a laugh.

"Good... thank you. That was... difficult." I paused, noticing her hands over her eyes and her body jolting slightly as she fell prey to uncontrollable laughter. I couldn't help but laugh myself as she continued to try to catch her breath which had suddenly fell scarce against her incessant laughter. "What?"

She shook her head at me, her arm hugging at her stomach as her giggles continued. "It's just... you're face... you were so serious."

"Yes well... this isn't easy for me." I poked at her side only feeding the volume of her giggles. "I'm trying to get you to understand that..." I paused with a laugh again as she buried her head into my chest now. "I'm being serious now."

She pulled away from me, laying on her back now. Clearing her throat she tried to stifle her laughter by pulling her lips in between her teeth, but I could see it wouldn't last long. "Go ahead..." Her voice was shaky and struggling for composure. "... I'm listening."

"Alright well..."

She burst into laughter again which made me fall silent yet again. There was nothing more intoxicating then her symphony of giggles. I hadn't heard her laugh this hard in a long time and it was never more mesmerizing. Her cheeks were flushed, whether in embarrassment or from the laughter I wasn't sure but she was too adorable in this moment. I mean, I was angry, angry about a million things that were previously brought to my attention and burning bright in my thoughts and yet, this was all it took for her to make me forget it all. Her... her happiness, her laughter, everything down to the little scrunch in her nose mid laugh... it was all amazing to me.

Clearing my throat I leaned into her, a hand upon her hip as I turned her onto her side and into me. Kissing her forehead I said, "Well... you keep laughing, and I'll keep considering the perfect occasion to finally sleep with you." She looked to me now, her laughter coming to a pause. I shrugged. "What? I thought we were being forward with one another?" She shook her head with a small laugh to which I shrugged playfully at. "I mean, you've already got sex with you on my mind, leaving the option open so... I might as well enjoy the thought of its arrival."

She shoved at my shoulder. "That is not why I told you that. This doesn't mean you get to decide when we have sex."

I laughed confidently now. "Sure it does." Her eyes narrowed but it was no more than a game of arrogance between us now.

"No... it doesn't." She laughed.

A small squeal escaped her as I took hold over her waist, repositioning her upon my lap, my body leaned forward as I kissed at her lips. We remained in this kiss for a brief moment before I finally pulled away, an intense gaze up at her now. "Of course it does."

I lay back upon the bed now in laughter as she glared down at me. "You are such an ass."

"I'll take that as a 'you're right'." I said, tucking my hands behind my head as I leaned back in a sigh of triumph.

"Well... I wouldn't be so confident in yourself." She said, and I could tell from the way her eyes light up that she was up to something. "Especially when I know... a secret about you."

I chuckled, unsure where exactly she was going with this, but her teasing tone told me she was planning something. "Oh really?"

She nodded, and I watched as she resituated herself lower upon my lap. My body jolted slightly as she jabbed her thumb against the edge of my hip bone, now... don't ask, I don't know why I was susceptible to laughter when she did this, but I couldn't' control it. In one quick motion, my body twisted to the right and I had to quickly remove my hands from behind my head to catch her body before it could fall to the floor, all the while I was submerged in unsustainable laughter.

She was laughing now too and as I folded my arms around her back, having her lay forward, flat upon my chest now and everything just felt... right. I could stay in this moment forever if life would let me. The mere sensation of her chest heaving against mine as we tried to dull our laughter, her intoxicating heart beating against mine, the sweet fragrance that latched onto her silk skin, it was utter perfection.

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**(A/N) If it isn't obvious... there's lemon right around the corner soo... hang in there. Like I always say... I don't want to rush things. Plus, I'm also excited for the confrontation which will happen yet again with Rachel and Gar... Please R/R **


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